Going to the City
by picklespancakes713
Summary: Lucas Friar is blind. He's completely against the idea of moving to NYC, but he's aware that he needs to. Will he be able to fit in Abigail Adams High School being a new guy from Texas? Will a certain brunette open his eyes?
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome to my story! This is going to be my first 'Girl Meets World' story. I know some of you are still waiting for me to conclude 'Innocent Trouble' but I'm having trouble with predictability. To all of those who are reading my writing for the first time, be open with your comments! I'm always ready to receive** ** _constructive_** **criticism.**

 **For those of you who ship Rucas, enjoy the story. And if you have no specific ship you'd like to read, enjoy the friendships. The story will mostly be in Lucas' and Riley's point of view. I had this idea based on the DCOM 'Going to the Mat', because I thought the main character was VERY attractive, haha.**

 **Disclaimer: I've written the story to be similar to the movie but not exact. I don't own GMW characters.**

 **…** **..**

His mother fell onto the couch. Tears of happiness rolled down her rose cheeks and fell slowly on the ground. "I can't believe it."

"You better believe it, honey! Our boy is going to see!" Lucas' father stood tall, and laid a hand on his son's shoulder. "He'll be able to see us for the first time in years."

Lucas Friar smiled and fist-pumped in the air. "Yeah!"

At the age of 2 years-old, Lucas had a permanent blur in his vision. When his pediatrician broke the news to his parents, they were devastated. They had mentioned he had "mesmerizing green eyes" that would be covered by pitch-black shades. Lucas didn't have an idea of how he looked, but he worked on being healthy and fit. As a result, his physique was in great shape.

Without his reflection he completed ordinary tasks like brushing his teeth, combing his hair, and getting dressed. Monday through Friday, he woke up from his small bed and left for school, where everyone was used to his condition. North Dallas High School was his second home. He felt comfortable to be himself along with his friends, Dave and Cletus.

What the famous Lucas Friar didn't anticipate was changing his entire lifestyle in a week.

"Even though this is great news, there's one downside."

Lucas furrowed his eyebrows and crossed his arms. "How bad can this be?" He scoffed, "Nothing can be bad when I'm getting my vision back."

A silence reigned the living room. "Boy, we're moving to New York City."

The teenager felt his blood begin to boil by every passing second. He clenched his fists. "Why would you move me from here?!" He marched into his room and punched the wall. His horse-strength created a dent on the blue wall.

Lucas' mom entered the room after hearing the bash. "Lucas Friar, calm yourself and listen to what your father has to say!" His dad entered soon after and walked towards his son. Their faces were inches away from the other. "Listen to me good, kid."

The fact that his father's voice became almost a whisper scared him. "We were under Wonderwork's thoughts. Be grateful they are only asking for us to pay 300 dollars. We ain't got the money for other doctors."

The green-eyed teen nodded reluctantly. He had forgotten that the charity, Wonderwork, was funding his search for a cure. Part of him felt ashamed of being so whiny. However, his other half wanted to fight to stay. "Yes, sir."

…..

"You'll always be a bulldog to us, buddy." Dave shook Lucas' hand with great strength. "Promise to call us as soon as you get there."

"Yeah, don't forget us when you become a city kid." Cletus smirked and playfully punched Lucas' shoulder.

The blind boy was reminded yet again of his upcoming change. "Never. Dallas rules!" He grabbed his buddies' shoulders and shook them. "I'll be coming back, guys. College!" The three friends shouted in excitement and anxiety for the future.

"Settle down, men. Lucas, it's time to go." Lucas' mother signaled him to get in the car.

"Oh come on, Mrs. Lillian! Leave your kid with us." Cletus shouted.

Lillian Friar narrowed her eyes at him. "Bye, Cletus."

…..

Riley Matthews was born and raised in Greenwich Village. She had been used to the daily life in the big city. There was constant change around her and somehow, she felt nothing changed.

"Maya, don't you love life? Nothing changes and everything is pretty good! The birds are still chirping, the cars are still honking, the rats still roam the subway tracks."

"Sunshine, I think you've been breathing too much of the carbon dioxide in the air."

Maya was Riley's blonde best friend. She was the rebel from the two, and usually dipped Riley into her schemes. Matthews, on the other hand, was an innocent brunette who always looked out for her friends. If she had to sacrifice herself for her friends, she would.

"Are you ready for our first day as seniors? Abigail Adam High School should get ready for us!" The enthusiastic brunette grinned as she reenacted a soldier salute.

"We're gonna be kings." Maya smirked and copied Riley's salute pose.

Abruptly, Riley and Maya heard a voice coming from the entrance. "Excuse me, pardon me, I'm looking for my wives."

They sighed and turned around while simultaneously saying, "Farkle."

"Ladies, I've got news for you. There are many new students transferring into our grade. Smackle told me."

"I'm sorry about you and Smackle, Farkle. I know you really liked her." Riley put a hand on his shoulder. "We're here for you."

"Who knows. Maybe the universe will reunite us once again. But I'm fine. I have you two!" The intellect smiled and brought Maya into a group hug. "You girls won't leave me too, right?"

Maya smiled. "Never."

Farkle Minkus wasn't very expressive when it came to his raw emotions. He was an extraordinary genius in scholarly aspects but always needed help to demonstrate affection. Thankfully, Riley and Maya have always aided him in that aspect. But he kept them in check when it came to their senses.

"Have you seen _him_?"

"I know! He is so hot!"

"But his attitude _sucks_."

"He's _blind_ , right?"

"No way!"

Maya rolled her eyes as she heard the gossip from her fellow classmates. "I keep hearing about some guy who's apparently blind. I haven't even seen him."

Farkle nodded. "I saw him. He came from Dallas, Texas. He appears to be really cocky."

Riley shook her head. "Come on, guys. It's his first day in a new town. On top of that, he's not used to the school's map. We should go say hi!"

Her two friends shook their head. They knew she had too much hope in people. Although they were sure she could defend herself, Farkle and Maya were afraid she would become hurt. "Um… Why don't we head to first period. We don't want to be late to your father's class."

The brunette frowned and stood quietly in front of her friends. "If you guys aren't going with me, I'll go by myself."

…..

That morning Lucas made sure his brown combat boots were tied up, his hair was combed and his teeth were sparkling clean. Everyone around him admired his fitted blue jeans held up by his Texas cowboy belt, and his blue v-neck tee.

Several girls swooned as he walked into the hallways. Even though he couldn't see, he heard gasps and whispers from everyone around him. The cockiness went straight through his head. Lucas walked up to a group of girls. "Any of you want to show me my locker?" The giggles that followed indicated that he had succeeded with his mission. He followed the sound of heels clicking until there was a halt.

"We're here! I gotta go."

Lucas reached out to open his locker but found nothing. He spun around and figured that the mystery girl left him in the middle of the hallway. Suddenly, Lucas heard a few guys come up to him.

"You think you can just come here and take away my girl? I don't know where you're from but you better watch out."

Friar concluded that he had just flirted with someone's girlfriend and he was about to get a beating. "I'm strong as a horse. Texas has strong men."

People began to laugh and snicker. "I guess Texas also has blind men all over." With that comment, Lucas was left alone to boil in his own fury. He guessed that there was a locker nearby so he ran to a side and punched into a metal door. His fingertips glided on the spot he had just hit and felt a dent. "Who's there?"

Riley stood a few feet away with fear in her eyes. Lucas' bionic hearing detected the brunette's footsteps. She looked down at her converse and spoke softly. "I'm Riley. Maybe you could use a new friend."

The Texas stud sighed and nodded. "That would be a good idea. I'm Lucas Friar."

Cautiously, Riley stepped closer to shake Lucas' hand. "Are you okay?"

Lucas felt disappointed. "I guess you saw me punch the locker. I didn't mean to scare you. I'm working on containing my anger." He raked his hair with his hand. "Riley, will you do me a favor?"

Even though he couldn't see her, she smiled and nodded, "Sure. What is it?"

"Can you guide me to my class? I need to put my hand on your shoulder." Friar seemed to ask shyly, with a blush creeping up.

Riley was grateful he couldn't see because she stared at him for a long time. Her red face, slowly regaining it's natural color, was undetected. "No problem. What class do you have?"

"I think I have Ms. Harper. Can you read my schedule?" Lucas passed her the folded schedule from his pocket.

"Ms. Harper. Shakespeare. I have the same class! I'll introduce you to my friends there." Riley grinned from ear to ear. "You'll love them. Maya is pretty strong, like you. Farkle is… well he's crazy."

Lucas slightly smiled. "Sounds good."

…

 **Chapters will be longer and introductions will be shorter! Wonderwork is an actual organization that raises money for families who can't afford eye surgery. If y'all have millions you should donate to them ;) PLEASE review and tell me what you think.**

 **Question(s): Who was the mystery girl who tricked Lucas? Will Lucas make any guy friends? Is Lucas going to hurt Riley? Will Lucas change if he his surgery goes well? Will the surgery itself happen?**

 **xx**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hola! I'm so glad so many of you liked the pilot chapter. Keep sending me your thoughts! Anything you would like to see is also welcome. :***

 **Guest 1: THANKS, LOVE! You motivate me.**

 **Marissa Davis: Oh my gosh, I'm happy to hear that! And yes, Rucas stories always make my heart jump, haha. Thanks for your kind words!**

 **Rucaslover: Bingo! We'll talk more about her later ;)**

 **daghley: Right on the nose! And who knows… Lucas seems to be an uncontrollable guy. And who knows if him having a surgery will make his ego fly? Thanks for your review!**

 **KillEmWithKindness02: I love your username… Selena am I right? You'll see Farkle and Lucas become great friends throughout the story. BTW, the fact that you mentioned Lucas doesn't have to see to love Riley made me so happy. I'll keep that in mind. ;D**

 **Marilove24: Thanks, lovely!**

 **Discurus: I hope I can reach their OTP potential, haha.**

 **HotXbun: Don't you love questions? I answered too many questions with a question XP lol.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything you recognize except story sequences.**

 **…** **..**

"I'm going to question all of you about your reading assignment over the summer." Ms. Harper stood in front of her desk. Everyone adored her, mostly because she was known as those teachers that are relatable. "Why did Hermia call her lover a thief?"

No one raised their hand. Maya looked at Riley who sat to her left. Lucas stared at the teacher in confusion. Back in Dallas, they didn't make him read Shakespeare. They made many non-fiction books mandatory.

"Riley? Would you like to answer? I know you have it." Ms. Harper's leather jacket wrinkled as she crossed her arms.

The brunette sighed. "She called Lysander a 'thief of love'. Because of a magical event, Hermia's lover began to love someone else. Hermia was completely heartbroken."

The teacher grinned. "Good job, Ms. Matthews. Mr. Friar. I know you haven't read this play. Although, I'd love to hear your thoughts about William Shakespeare in general."

Lucas rolled his eyes. "Texas never made us read that. We read historical books. All I know about Shakespeare is that he loves killing his main characters." He threw his pencil in the air and caught it single handedly. "I don't get what the big deal is."

Riley turned back and looked at Lucas in shock. "You did not just say that."

Ms. Harper smirked. "This year will be very interesting for you, Lucas." She focused her attention to the entire classroom. "It's okay if you don't like this author. However, I want us to dig deep into the mind of this individual. Liking him or not, we can all agree his writing differs from anyone in history."

…..

Maya glared at Lucas as she walked out the classroom. "Who does he think he is?" She and Farkle hurriedly went to the next class, leaving Riley behind with Lucas.

"Riley, can you please help me put on my messenger bag?" Lucas' hand flew around his seat to locate his book bag. His attitude seemed to disappear since class.

She reluctantly agreed and waited until Lucas put a hand on her shoulder. "We both have a free period so we could study for Ms. Harper's class until third." Riley led him to the hallway and signaled him to sit on the floor. She criss-crossed her legs and opened her Shakespeare textbook.

"I see you enjoy her class a lot." Lucas chuckled and grabbed his textbook as well. "You hate me don't you."

Riley frowned. "I don't mind your preferences. I could deal without the attitude though. You just stated that 'Texas' doesn't do romantic plays." There was an intimidating silence after she spoke her mind.

"What am I supposed to do! I have anger inside of me. It's all a mix of me moving here and the people treating me like an idiot. You have no idea how it feels to have people shout in your face. Just because I'm blind doesn't mean I'm deaf." Lucas left Riley speechless. He sighed and began to feel the pages of his textbook. "Since I can't read, I have my parents read me everything. William Shakespeare isn't exactly the most manly thing my father wants."

Riley nodded. "I'll read it to you. If you want, we can read the summer assignment just so you get used to her class."

Lucas shrugged. "I guess that would be fine. We can read it every third period."

The introverted brunette smiled. "I'm glad you can confide in me. I promise I'll always be here to talk," her hand flew to his shoulder, "You Texas boy."

The blond cowboy laughed and nodded. "You're my first friend, city girl." He put his hand on top of Riley's. "Thanks."

She began to get flustered immediately. "Yeah! N-No problem! Let's keep reading so we can find my friends later."

…..

"I don't like him at all. I mean, look at him!" Farkle rolled his eyes in annoyance as him and Maya surveilled. From afar, they saw Riley and Lucas talking. "He's all talk."

"I wouldn't trust him," Maya paused, "but there's probably a reason why Riley is giving him a second chance." In a matter of seconds Maya and Farkle run to the pair studying.

"Peaches! Farkle! I'm glad you're here. This is Lucas Friar." Riley pointed at the handsome teen.

Lucas bowed his head, as if he had an invisible ten-gallon hat. "Nice to meet y'all." He smiled to where he assumed the two acquaintances stood. "Riley says you're good people."

"The best." Maya crossed her arms and squinted her eyes. She got closer to Lucas and examined him from head to toe. "I'm going to be watching you closely, Ranger Rick."

Friar furrowed his eyebrows. "Why? What did I do?"

Farkle scoffed. "Look at you, dude! You're a 30 year-old in a 17 year-old body!" Minus looked at the new kid in disbelief. He was aware Lucas had made a mark on Riley. If the cowboy knew he was really good-looking, it'd go straight to his head.

Friar laughed. "I wouldn't know but thanks, buddy." Lucas turned his head toward Riley. "What class do I have next?"

She bit her lip as she searched for his schedule. "Uh, surprisingly you have Mr. Matthews for Gym." Riley giggled and looked at Maya.

"Why are you laughing?" Lucas asked, with a smirk.

"Oh nothing! I guess you'll find out sooner or later. Farkle has that same class. You guys should bond there!" Riley grinned from ear to ear. "Yay!"

…..

"So Farkle, how long have y-"

"Look Lucas. I don't want to bore you with my life. You probably don't want to hear about the life of a city kid." Farkle sighed. He put on his gym shirt while Lucas tied his sneakers.

Lucas frowned and realized he made a poor first impression. "I'm sorry. I know I seemed like a snob first period. Give me another shot to prove I'm not a huge idiot." He stuck his hand out for a truce.

"Fine. I'll give you another chance to show me who you really are." Farkle shook his hand and gave him a small smile. "What were you going to ask me before I interrupted?"

"Oh, right! How long have you know Riley and Maya?"

"My wives? I met them when we were in first grade. I've loved them ever since. Equally, might I add." Farkle recalled all the memories the three of them have had. "You like Riley, don't you?"

Lucas was shocked. "Uh, I just got here, buddy. Let's call each other friends for now." He chuckled awkwardly and scratched the back of his neck.

Farkle smirked. "Sure. Say that now. But I called it." He tied his left shoe and rose to his feet. "Let's go before Matthews yells at us."

…..

"Good morning to you all! We'll be playing basketball today." Mr. Matthews grabbed his clipboard and started calling out random names. "Farkle, Lucas, Isaiah, Dezmond, Scott against Yogi, Elliot, Andrew, Charlie and Brandon."

Farkle grew worried about Lucas. "Mr. Matthews. Can you come here for a second?"

The teacher walked over to the pair of friends. "What's the problem?"

"My friend, Lucas, can't see. How is he going to play?"

Lucas felt awkward and embarrassed that he couldn't play like everyone else. "It's okay Farkle, I played a bit back at home." He didn't want to admit it, but he played by himself sometimes. Lucas had memorized where the net was. However, it was going to be more challenging to play with actual people.

"That's good to hear, Friar. Now, game on!" Mr. Matthews patted Lucas on the shoulder and walked off to the sidelines.

Farkle shook his head in disapproval. He whispered, "Why did you lie?"

Lucas frowned. "I'm not going to isolate myself on the first day." He felt Farkle pass him the basketball.

Minkus sighed. "Fine." He grabbed Lucas and turned him towards the net. "Forward is where you shoot. Backwards is the opponent's net. I'll tell you where to throw. Just hear my voice and the direction."

"Thanks, Farkle. I'll be listening."

For the first two minutes, Lucas was playing pretty well. Every time he heard Farkle yell "right" or "left" he would throw it straight to him. His team mates hollered supporting chants to the new guy until he tripped on someone's foot.

"Sorry, Friar!" A guy unknown to Lucas started to cackle.

Lucas stayed on the floor until he felt two people lift him up. He knew Minkus was definitely one of them but the other was not recognizable.

"Really, Charlie? What was that for?" Farkle shouted from across the court.

"Sorry about him." A voice next to Lucas mumbled. "I'm Isaiah. Zay for short."

"Don't worry about me. It's nothing." Lucas dusted himself and got up with pride. "Let's keep playing." Internally, Friar's blood was boiling. He wanted to beat the crap out of that Charlie guy. "You ready, Charlie?" Lucas yelled out in front of him. He was aware that the idiot that tripped him was observing him from afar.

"Sure thing, blind boy!" Charlie yelled back.

"Hold me back if I start to charge, buddy." Lucas searched for Farkle with his hand and grabbed his shoulder. "Zay, you friends with him?"

"Uh, I shouldn't but we're in the basketball team together. You should join, dude." Isaiah patted him in the back. "Don't let him irritate you."

Out of nowhere, a feminine voice was herd throughout the gym. "Dad!"

Farkle smirked and began to snicker.

Lucas recognized that voice. "Riley?"

…..

 **xx**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi everybody! :D I'd like to clear a few things up from the last chapter… Sorry for the spelling mistakes, first of all…**

 **Second, I made Cory the gym teacher as well as the history teacher, which you'll see in the near future. For those who recall BMW, Cory was playing some pretend basketball with Topanga. The laundry basket, anyone? Haha, originally the movie I based this story off of includes the blind main character going out for wrestling. Even though Lucas is strong, I don't see him wanting to wrestle *sorry*. I figured some of you were confused that Matthews was a gym coach lol.**

 **BTW! In the DCOM "Going to the Mat", the love interest is actually the daughter of the wrestling coach! Which makes it another reason why I had to make Cory the basketball coach and Riley the love interest ;)**

 **I changed the rating because of the technical terms of surgery and maybe in the future I'll touch more sensitive subjects.**

 **KillEmWithKindness02: Aw I'm glad to hear that! I tried to put myself in Lucas' shoes because I'm not blind personally but it's fun to be someone else. Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **Discursus: I hated writing Charlie's dialogue cause' it made me punch the laptop screen. Farkle is a sweetheart! Enjoy his relationship with Lucas because it will develop through the chapters.**

 **Violet1429: I know, it'll be weird! ;P But Cory as both a gym teacher and history teacher will leave a mark on Lucas.**

 **Daghley: YAY I LOVE THAT YOU LOVED IT**

 **HotXbun: Questions are answered here haha**

 **Guest: Thanks so much! I love that you love the story and here's the update. Thanks for pushing me to update! :) :***

 **DISCLAIMER: I donut own anything you're familiar with except the sequence and personal *touches*, haha.**

 **…** **..**

Riley laughed. "Hey Lucas! How's basketball?" She smoothed her denim skirt and adjusted her floral top.

Lucas looked more confused than when he entered his Shakespeare class. "It's pretty good but did you just call the teacher your dad?" He pointed at where he assumed Mr. Matthews was.

The gym teacher chuckled. "Come on, Friar. Let's keep the ball dribbling." He patted Friar's back and turned him towards the net. Mr. Matthews then turned to his daughter and noticed her eyes wander to the new student. "You better be looking at the team and not a single player."

The brunette blushed and turned to her dad. "Come on! We're just friends. Although you have to admit, he's really interesting." She looked fixedly on Lucas with admiration. "He can't even see and yet he plays better than most people."

From a distance, Charlie Gardner turned green with envy. Ever since the eighth grade, he had a massive crush on Riley Matthews. In her eyes, he was a huge creep and a jerk. He gawked every time she was near and checked her out constantly. Riley felt quite uncomfortable with his stare, creating an awkward tension every time they had a conversation. "Come on, Friar. Hit me with your best shot."

Riley rolled her eyes as her pesty admirer provoked her new friend. "You got this, Lucas! You can make the shot!" She encouraged him as he ran quickly from one side of the court to the other.

The Texas teen felt his heart race when Riley cheered. As soon as he heard Farkle say, "Shoot straight!" he threw the basketball to the net. Nothing but net.

"You're awesome, dude!" Zay shuffled Lucas' hair playfully. "You're coming with me to join the team."

"Alright, Lucas. We got to go change because we have art next." Farkle indicated Lucas where the showers were and soon enough, they continued with their schedule.

…..

"Ranger Rick plays well? I'm surprised." Maya looked impressed while Riley ranted about how good Lucas was at basketball.

"It was amazing! He can't see and yet when it comes to sound… he has a bionic sense!" Riley raked her hair to the side. She smiled at the books in her arms. Ironically, the first textbook in the stack was Shakespeare.

Maya smirked and put her hand on Riley's shoulder. "You're beaming, sweetie! This boy has you in his hands."

Matthews shook her head. "We're just friends. But I think I've fallen in love!" She sighed dreamingly.

"You mean fallen in _like_. You just met him." Maya Hart was very concerned for her best friend. "You don't know him entirely."

"I know but I have a sixth sense when it comes to people, Peaches. It looks like he has a good heart." Riley kept walking towards her locker. Opening the metal door, everyone could see pictures of the three pals embracing each other. "He needs good friends to help him. Remember 'people change people'?"

"Secret of life," Maya replied. Her head kept denying the possibility Lucas was a good kid but she admitted, "Maybe he's not so bad after all."

"Yay!" Riley slammed her locker door shut and flew into Maya's embrace.

…..

"Now that we're buddies, I finally have a guy to join me with our study sessions. Would you want to go to Topanga's after school?" Farkle walked Lucas to his new locker. Inserting his combination, he helped Lucas put in his gym clothes and some of his textbooks.

"What's Topanga's?" Lucas furrowed his eyebrows. "I'd have to ask my dad but I think I could go."

"Topanga's is a small cafe-bakery type of place. Riley, Maya and I always go there to do homework."

"Sure! I'll call my dad right now." Lucas reached in his pocket and took out a phone from the past.

Farkle chuckled. "What's with your phone? You don't like iPhone's?"

Lucas shook his head furiously. "I do! I've heard they're really advanced but I can't use it. Plus, they don't have speed dial like the old phones do. Since I can't see anything, I just memorize the speed dial buttons." He pressed on what Farkle saw was number 5.

The phone rang.

"Hi, sir! I quickly wanted to ask you if I could go study with a few friends?" On the other line Lucas heard construction work and car honks.

"Sure, son. I'm glad you made friends on the first day. Tell me the address later."

"Thanks, dad! Bye!" Lucas grinned. "I can go!"

Farkle smiled. "That's good." The genius began to grow fond of Lucas. Although at first he seemed arrogant, he proved himself to be more than a pretty face. Behind the disability was a man like any other. "Let's go meet the rest outside."

…..

The interior design of Topanga's was admirable. There was an immense bookcase in the back with novels, dictionaries, thesaurus, and articles. Curtains hung at the windows and a couple of couches were at the front.

"Welcome to our hang out. Sit right here." Maya pulled Lucas and sat him down next to Farkle.

Riley left her book bag on her seat. "I'll be right back guys. I'm going to ask my mom to bring us some snacks."

Maya sat next to Lucas and Farkle. She began to interrogate Friar. "So, have you ever been in prison? Do you do any bad things?" The blonde beauty narrowed her eyes. "Why did you move to the city? Are you running away from the sheriffs of your town?"

Lucas scoffed. "What are you? A mother? No, I haven't been in prison. I moved to the city to have eye surgery so I could see again. I don't know when the surgery is going to happen."

Farkle looked interested. "I didn't know you came to have your vision cured! New York has one of the best surgeons in the country."

"How is that even possible? I thought blindness couldn't be cured?" Maya crossed her arms in disapproval.

"Actually in 15 minutes, give or take, a surgeon can give me my vision back. The explanation is kind of unsettling, but they make a tiny incision on the white part of the eye and extract the cloudy lens that makes me blind. They put in a new, synthetic lens. Afterwards I can see again!"

The genius' mouth dropped. "Wow, you explained that really well!"

Hart scoffed. "Whatever. That's good. You'll see me rolling my eyes at you." She returned to her original seat next to Riley. "I'm still watching you."

Lucas laughed. "Then I guess I'll be seeing you watching me." He smirked as he teased the short-stack.

Maya replied frustratingly, "I can't get to you." She searched for her best friend. "Riley, hurry before I tackle Ranger Rick!"

Riley ran back to her place with her mother walking behind. "I'm here! Is everyone okay?!" She grabbed Maya's shoulder. "What did you do?"

The group of friends laughed. "We're alright," responded Farkle.

"I see you three have a new friend! I'm Topanga, what's your name?" Topanga Matthews smiled and stuck her hand out for Lucas to shake. "I'm Riley's mom."

Lucas searched for Topanga's hand to shake. "Nice to meet you! I suppose this place is yours?" He smiled politely at the woman.

"Yes! What a wonderful young man. And you have lovely green eyes."

Farkle, Maya and Riley panicked. They hadn't explained to Topanga that the new teen couldn't see. Without saying a word, they began to make signs that Lucas wasn't aware of. From a stranger's view, it was hilarious to see Riley point at her eyes, Maya crossing her hands in an 'X' formation and Farkle shaking his hands.

"Guys, I can sense you guys moving your hands everywhere. I'm not stupid." Lucas breathed in and sighed. "Mrs. Matthews I'm blind. But thank you for your compliment."

Topanga covered her mouth. "I'm so sorry. Feel free to walk around as you please. I'll be looking out for you." She scurried off and left the group of friends in an awkward silence.

"I'm sorry, Lucas. We shouldn't have been sneaky trying to make signals." Riley apologized sincerely. "I hope we didn't hurt your feelings."

Friar smiled. "Thank you. I'm okay talking about my blindness. I just hate when people treat me like I'm dumb just because I can't see." He searched for Riley's shoulder. "You guys have been nothing but nice to me so thanks to all of you."

Maya frowned. "Sorry." She realized she was being too overprotective of Riley. "Let's get on with the homework!"

…..

"I'm so glad I finished that Calculus homework! I don't think I would've finished it by myself!" Riley grinned. "Thanks, Farkle!"

"Alright, don't make us Pre-Calc students feel stupid." Maya rolled her eyes playfully and rested her head on Riley's shoulder. "I'm exhausted."

The brunette smiled. "You should head home. I have to close the shop with my mom but you guys can rest."

Farkle excitedly stood up. "I'll walk Maya home! Would you like to, my beautiful wife?" He held out his hand.

"Sure." Maya looped her arm through Farkle's arm. "You're buying me something since I'm your wife."

"Anything!" Minus grinned and walked out with his friend.

Immediately after they left, Lucas began to laugh. "I see them together." He shoved his notebooks inside his bag. "My dad's going to be a bit late. He got held up by the traffic."

"It's alright! I have to wait too so you'll keep me company." Riley shyly said as she put her things away. "You want me to bring you a cup of hot chocolate or something?"

"No, I'm fine. Thanks for the offer though." Lucas looked at his hands. He had the urge to talk with Riley, but he was afraid he was going to make a bad impression.

"How have you enjoyed your first day so far?" Riley hoped he had a great day. She wanted him to be happy. She liked seeing him smile.

"At first I thought it was a disaster," he paused. "When I talked to you, it went better. Thanks to Farkle I felt normal." He raised his head towards Riley. "Thanks to you I felt like myself."

Riley blushed. "It's no problem. You'll be great in Abigail Adams. My dad really wants you to join the basketball team." She laughed, "You shoot some pretty mean hoops."

The two of them enjoyed talking about basketball, stories and music. An hour passed and they were still chattering about things that were important to them. Both of them felt a connection as they listened to each other talk. Occasionally, Topanga stopped whatever she was doing and stared at the pair speaking so passionately.

"No way! You wrote an essay about gender equality? I love reading information on that subject. The wage gap between men and women is incredible."

Riley's mouth hung ajar. "Exactly! And we've talked about 'Black Lives Matter' ever since Treyvon Martin died. Those subjects are very important to me."

Around 10 p.m. Topanga interrupted the couple. "It's time to close up, Riles. Lucas, do you need a ride home?"

Just on time, Lucas heard a honk outside. "Thank you, but I think my father is outside." He turned to Riley. "I'm glad we got to talk a lot. I'll see you tomorrow."

They waved each other goodbye and smiled. When Riley saw Lucas left the store, she fell onto the couch. "That was the greatest conversation I've had in my life."


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm so glad you liked the last chapter! I loved writing the last part with Rucas talking. I will definitely make mention to Riley/Rowan's views on the world (feminism). And updates won't be everyday, but I'll try to be quick.**

 **Daghley: AW THANKS, LOVE!**

 **KillEmWithKindness02: I agree. I love Sabrina, but I also believe Rowan should have some recognition in the media for her own show and her accomplishments as a role model. And yes! Lucas isn't afraid to speak about his blindness. He'll keep talking about it in the future.**

 **Marilove24: Awwww thanks so much!**

 **Discursus: I love writing the parts with him and Farkle. Their friendship is the best.**

 **violet1429: I hope so! I want to write the spark between the two. Let me know if that spark dies down please!**

 **HotXbun: YAY ;D**

 **…** **..**

"Peaches, I honestly think we connected last night." Riley stood against her locker with a longing gaze. Her brown curls framed her doe eyes and pursed lips. "I've never had a conversation like that with anyone."

"Hey!" Maya gave her best friend a questioning look.

"Except with you, Maya. You're my partner in crime!" The brunette smiled and joked around playfully. "But it isn't like the conversations I have with Farkle. He and I have different beliefs. Lucas and I swam in the depths of each other."

The blonde raised an eyebrow. "That sounds inappropriate," she paused, "but I get what you mean. You got to know him in a day." Maya slammed her locker shut. With a sigh of exhaustion, she asked, "Are we still going to Demolition today? I need you to help me choose an outfit for the first basketball game of the season."

Riley gave her best friend a look of confusion. "The first game is in a month! Why so early?"

"Honey, your uncle Boing is going to be there! I need to look decent. He'll finally consider us being together after so many years." Maya twirled her hair and smirked. "I have a feeling he's gonna ask me out."

"I'm going to say something I've been wanting to say for a long time…" Riley stood straight and covered her face with her hands. "I don't want you to be my aunt!"

Hart laughed and pulled away Riley's hands from her face. "Sweetie, you don't make that choice. Your uncle does."

"Why don't you give Farkle a chance? I've always wanted you two to end up together." Riley grinned and clapped. "You'd be Maya Minkus! M and M! Like the chocolate!"

Maya narrowed her eyes at Riley. "Don't ever say that again."

With saucer eyes, Riley nodded. "Alright, Penelope. Let's head to chemistry."

…..

 _One Week Later:_

"Napoleon Bonaparte. What do we know about him?" Cory Matthews began his history lesson.

"He conquered Mexico!" Maya exclaimed. She gave her teacher a goofy smile. "He was the dictator of Mexico."

"Nope. Another guess?" Mr. Matthews shook his head in disbelief. "Farkle!"

"Sir, he was a dictator from France who conquered many countries of Europe."

Everyone murmured in agreement.

"Thank you! Now, would you say this man was humble?" The teacher waited for a response but found none. "Being humble involves having little pride. No boasting. A right amount of confidence."

Riley raised her hand. "Nope. He was known for having no mercy. That's why he's called a military dictator. Napoleon probably had an immense ego."

A large portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte hung at the chalkboard. Mr. Matthews pointed towards it. "Many commentators joke around that he was a man of small stature but of big pride. Where does pride take you?"

"Sir, the right amount of pride can take you around the world," Farkle spoke confidently.

"And an excess amount of pride can destroy you," Maya responded softly.

"Correct, Maya! We don't want to have an excess amount of pride. Where did this ego lead Napoleon?" Matthews looked around and found Lucas raising his hand. "Mr. Friar?"

"Wasn't he locked up after the loss of a battle? And he died in jail, sir."

"Right again. We can learn a lot about this famous french man. Let's not allow our ego get to the best of us."

The bell rang a second later. Most of the students scurried out of the class but the four friends stayed behind to chat.

"Farkle! Lucas! Are you coming to tryouts after school?" Cory politely asked the two boys. "I could use your good sportsmanship."

Lucas smiled. "I'd love to join, sir!" He ran his hand behind his chair and grabbed his messenger bag. "I'm going to be late to class so I gotta go but I hope Farkle says yes!" The Texas-born teen ran off to his next subject and left behind a confused Minkus.

"I've never seen you so confused, Farkle. Are you doubting your athletic abilities?" Mr. Matthews crossed his arms.

"I don't know, sir. Intellectually, I know I'm superior. But athletically…"

"Don't doubt yourself, Farkle. Come to the gym and we'll see what you're capable of."

…..

"Alright! I want you all to get in pairs and start the drills. After that, we'll play a game with everyone trying out. I'll decide who is accepted by tomorrow morning." Cory held his clipboard with a firm grip and picked up his whistle with the other. "Let's go!" The whistle blew and everyone began their exercises.

Without a doubt, Farkle and Lucas were paired up and began to dribble the ball back and forth. Both of them did a great job working as a team.

"You're doing great Lucas! Just hear the sound of where the ball hits the floor." Farkle breathed in and out heavily. "We got to make it on the team."

Cory smiled with pride as he saw Farkle and Lucas putting in effort. He knew what the boys were capable of, but he wasn't sure if they would put themselves out there. "Good job, you two! Keep it up!"

The comment didn't help Charlie Gardener. His dislike towards Lucas kept growing as the days went by. "I hope the blind guy doesn't make it in because he's friends with Farkle! That's favoritism."

Lucas became furious but ignored the blood running to his head. He counted to ten and relaxed. There was no retaliation in success. "Let's keep it up, Farkle."

After the sound of a second whistle, all the guys lined up in front of Cory. "Same teams as last week. Game starts in a minute! Get a game plan and go, go, go."

…..

"That was tiring." Lucas rested his hands on his knees. "I've never had such a rush." He turned his gaze to the right, expecting to see an equally exhausted Farkle. However, he found the genius lying on the floor with his eyes closed.

"Wh-What did you say?" Farkle lifted his head slightly. "I couldn't hear you over the sound of my heart pounding."

Friar chuckled. "Let's go buddy. We should go get some water before we leave."

Zay Babineaux looked from afar and felt a bit envious of the friendship. He decided to walk up to the pair of pals and smile. "Hey guys, I was wondering… Can I hang out with your group of friends during lunch?"

Lucas and Farkle looked at each other and nodded. "Absolutely."

…

"So, Zay, tell us about yourself." Riley crossed her hands and waited for a response.

"Well aren't you cute?" Zay chuckled. "I'm a senior like y'all. I was born in Houston, Texas and moved to the city when I was 5. I've been playing basketball ever since I was a kid. I like cheerleaders. That's pretty much it."

Lucas teased him playfully. "Alright, jocky. We have an initiation here. You gotta drink the spoiled milk from the cafeteria."

"Are you serious?!"

"Nah, I'm kidding. I'm just as new to the group as you are. There is no initiation." Lucas hit Zay's shoulder jokingly.

Maya put a finger on her chin. "We should've done that initiation to you, Ranger Rick." She shook her head. "Damn it."

Riley rolled her eyes. "Did you guys find out who made the team?" She looked at all three boys with excitement. "Did ya? Did ya?"

"Calm down, sweetie." Maya held the brunette's shoulders down. "Tell us."

Farkle smiled. "All three of us made the team! Although, Mr. Matthews also added Charlie to the team." He gave Riley a knowing look.

Riley's jaw dropped. "I'm so happy for you! I didn't know you guys made it!" Meanwhile, she replayed her dinner last night.

 _"_ _Pick Lucas! Pick Lucas! Pick Farkle! Pick Farkle!"_

 _"_ _Honey, you can't force me to pick someone." Cory responded, raising an eyebrow._

Maya smirked. "We totally didn't know." She continued to chew on her tater tots.

"First game is on October 4th, so we'll totally be ready to destroy." Zay put his hand in a fist and threw it in the air. "Patriots rule!" He gave Farkle and Lucas a high-five.

…..

 **Foreshadowing. Read & Review. ;)**


	5. Chapter 5

**I recommend reading the first basketball game with some background music… Maybe "Now or Never" from HSM3? ;)**

 **I'm sorry I made the last chapter so short but I had to save all my energy for this chapter that I hope will be the best since the pilot chapter.**

 **KillEmWithKindness02: Yes! Riley and Maya wanted their friends to make the team. But don't worry! They also made it because they worked for it! That's why I included Cory saying he chose who made the team. And the Napoleon subject serves a purpose. Will you be able to connect the dots? :O ;)**

 **violet1429: Yep! Zay is part of the squad :D**

 **Guest: XD Riley is a special girl for sure!**

 **nona0310: Thank you for reading! I write for you and everyone else who reads it. You motivate me to write cuter Rucas moments! haha**

 **Discursus: Farkle IS a favorite haha. But he isn't on the team because he was a favorite. YES. I love that you mention that! Charlie didn't think he would have competition with a blind boy.**

 **Marissa Davis: Yay! I love your review! Here's an update for all of you.**

 **Guest (2): Hmmm I'll try to squeeze that in at some point but there's a part where Charlie is very up front with Riley… in future chaps.**

 **This chapter will be long. Enjoy!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything you recognize.**

…..

 _September 25th_

"I'll see you tomorrow, freak!" Farkle smirked at Lucas. He grabbed his book bag and walked to the main entrance. His sweaty gym towel hung around his neck.

The handsome teen grinned. "Thanks, nerd! Keep practicing those free throws!" Lucas turned around and walked in the empty hallways. As he arrived at his locker, he discovered a lonely Riley sitting on the floor. "Hey, Riles."

The brunette stood up and brushed off her overalls. "I was hoping to find you." She smiled at him sincerely.

Lucas grinned and opened his locker while he asked, "What are you doing here after school?" He threw his red basketball uniform inside the locker.

"Well, since my dad is the coach, I have to wait for him to give me a ride. But today, he has a teacher conference." Riley sighed and crossed her arms. "I was hoping we can walk so I don't have to walk the streets alone."

Riley glanced outside the glass doors. The sun was about to disappear behind the horizon. The city is wonderful, but they both knew about the dangers in the dark.

"No problem! I'll drop you off," Lucas stated. "It'll give me a chance to talk to you."

Matthews blushed and once again, was thankful he couldn't see her cheeks. "Thanks so much. It means a lot."

Lucas gripped onto Riley's shoulder and walked side by side with her. While they walked Riley admired the way the teen's eyes shined under the light. She then directed her attention to his broad shoulders and felt safe under his protection. Once they arrived to Riley's front door, Lucas walked up the stairs with her.

"Riley, I have to tell you something. I think it's time I ask you," Lucas began.

The brunette's eyes became saucers. Her heart raced a mile a minute and did flips. "S-Sure! Ask away! Anything!"

"Would it be okay if I put you as my number one on speed dial?" Lucas smirked. "Only if you're okay with that." He was aware of the suspense he built. Even though he appreciated Riley, he also liked to make her flustered.

Riley exhaled loudly. "Oh! Of course. You know you can call me if you ever need anything." She dragged her hands to cover her face.

"That's good! I had already put Farkle as my number two, Zay as three and Maya as six. I definitely couldn't forget about my favorite brunette." Lucas smiled.

The two of them stood there in silence for a moment until Riley reached out to hug Lucas. At first, he was caught off guard. In a few seconds he became comfortable and relaxed. His arms surrounded Riley's frame.

"Good night, Lucas."

…..

 _October 1st_

"Okay, twirl around!" Riley sat at her bay window with her legs crossed. She carefully examined Maya's outfit.

"I love this!" Maya posed in her dress. It was a very flowy red dress with blue flowers. She paired the ensemble with white Keds. "I'm definitely representing the Patriots."

Riley cheerfully clapped and jumped up. "You look amazing! My turn!" She ran to her closet and quickly changed into her choice of clothes. "Look at me!" Matthews wore a fitting blue dress that stopped right at the knees. She slipped on her red converse and spun in front of the blonde.

"Sunshine, Lucas will wish he could see you." Maya smirked. "You'll have Charlie Gardner do double take."

Riley frowned. "Right… Lucas can't see me."

Her best friend furrowed her eyebrows in wonder. "I thought you didn't dress for boys? You're a figure of women empowerment."

The brunette nodded reluctantly. "I don't, but I also wanted to impress him. I've never liked a guy so much." She bowed her head in sadness. "I wish he could see. Not just for me, but for his friends, and his family."

Maya frowned. "I feel sorry for the huckleberry. But who knows… Maybe this operation he was talking about will give him back his vision. Then he'll see what a catch you are."

Riley slightly smiled. "I guess you're right. Right now, he needs us in spirit. And if he likes me, he'll like me for who I am and not what I look like."

…..

"Dude, can you believe the game is on Monday?" Zay spun his basketball with his finger. He stared in awe at Lucas. "We're gonna be awesome."

Lucas laughed while he laid on his couch. "We better be or Mr. Matthews will throttle us."

Farkle nodded as he locked his phone. "I need to prove that I can be athletic, aside from my intelligence." He grabbed some popcorn and threw it in his mouth. "Maya and Riley will be all dressed up for the game… I can't wait!"

Zay smirked. "Farkle, you're gonna have to see Smackle as well. I heard she started dating Gardener's friend, Billy."

Lucas frowned. "Just ignore her, Farkle. You gotta be focused on the game." The blond also began to think about Riley. Lately he was thinking about how all his friends looked like. What if Riley was ugly? Would he be shallow and stop being friends with her? Or would he be her friend in any case? Would he still have a crush on her? Then again, Lucas didn't know if he was physically attractive either. He could be a total mess and have friends more attractive then him. Honestly, he knew looks shouldn't matter.

"Earth to Lucas! Were you thinking about Riley?" Farkle questioned, playfully.

"Actually, yeah. I wish I could see her and you guys." Lucas paused, "Forget it. We all have to be 105% focused next week."

…..

 _October 4th_

"Welcome to Abigail Adam's High School: home of the Patriots. Tonight, we'll be playing against Dickinson Knights. Wish our team good luck!" The announcer made the crowd roar with excitement and pep.

At the sidelines of the gym, the entire team for Abigail High huddled up to form a game plan. Cory Matthews spoke proudly, "We've worked hard to win this season. I have a good feeling we'll be going far. Make the school proud and work together!" The players grinned and nodded passionately. "1, 2, 3, go!"

Lucas, Farkle and Zay dispersed from the team to find Riley and Maya. As soon as they heard a distinct "yay", they found the duo.

"My wives, you both look lovely." Farkle gave them an awkward bow.

"Yeah, yeah, thanks boy. Have you seen Josh?" Maya searched in the crowd for the handsome brunet.

Farkle pointed at a direction. "I saw him talking to Matthews. He's wearing a red beanie."

Maya grinned with happiness and ran to the college student. "I'll be back after I snag a date with uncle Boing!"

Riley shook her head in playful disbelief and smiled. "You guys are so ready."

Lucas smiled as well. "Even though I can't see, I'm sure you look great." He hugged the brunette with content. "You should take a selfie with me, and when I regain my sight, we'll see it together."

Matthews felt her heart jump to her throat. "That's a great idea." She politely asked Isaiah to take a picture of the pair. Lucas grinned and Riley laughed. "You'll probably laugh when you see it!"

 _When_. Lucas was happy she said "when" and not "if". He tightened his grip around her waist. He didn't mean to be flirty. The teen wanted to hold on to his hope as tight as he could. Lucas didn't want to let her go. "It's time for the game. I'll talk to you after, okay?"

Riley smiled. "No matter what, I'll be proud of the whole team."

"Okay! Time to sit down, everybody. The game is about to begin!" The announcer shouted.

…..

"I'm so scared, Maya. We're losing 30 to 25 and it's about to be half-time." Riley covered her face with her hands. The students around her were shouting for the team to make a shot. "We have to win!"

"Relax. There's still time." Maya looked at the timer and noticed there were only 30 seconds left for the first half. "Okay, don't relax."

The buzzer rang and concluded the first part of the game. Tired and gloomy, the Patriots returned to the locker room. Cory stood in front of the guys and crossed his arms. "Guys, you can do this. I have faith you will pull out a surprise finish. Although, I gotta tell you what we need to work on." Matthews looked at all of the faces around him. "Friar. Gardner. Pass the ball to each other. Even if you guys want to rip each other's guts out, do it outside and not in the game."

Every other player looked at the two enemies. Farkle chose to speak up.

"I didn't think I could make it on the team, but with hard work and effort I did. We can win this game as long as we keep up that hard work and effort. Zay, wanna say something?"

Babineaux looked at his feet and nodded. "We gotta win this cause we'll get pizza after!"

Everyone cheered and ran back to the court. Lucas and Farkle glared at Zay. "Really… Our motive for winning is pizza?"

"Oh come on! Everyone loves pizza!"

…..

16 minutes left for the end of the game. The scores were very close to each other. Knights were winning with 60 points and Patriots were behind with 57.

"Patriots!" Abigail Adams High chanted as their players ran back and forth with passion. Riley tried to shout as loud as she could. "You got this Lucas!" In a matter of seconds, Lucas made a basket. The crowd continued to cheer.

As the chants got louder, the team made more points. 65 to 64.

"Two more points and they win!" Maya shouted in excitement. "Go Farkle! Go Zay!"

Riley grinned. "Zay made the tie! We're so close!"

Lucas put his hands on his knees. His lungs felt like they were about to collapse. He needed an ounce more of energy and perhaps he made the winning shot. He perked his ears up and heard a familiar voice.

"Lucas! You'll make all of us proud! You got this!" Riley clapped. "One more!"

His lungs quickly filled with oxygen once again and he began to run. "Come on, team!" His team mates looked at the timer. Sixteen seconds.

"Come on, Friar! Shoot it!" Gardner screamed. Everyone looked at Lucas as his wrist flicked and threw the ball. Time stopped as the ball touched the rim. In a swift move, the ball spun and fell inside the net.

"AND THE PATRIOTS WIN!" The announcer dropped his microphone on the floor and jumped in the air. People wearing blue and red grinned and cheered with their hearts filled with pride.

Riley and Maya hugged each other and ran out to the court. As they were about to say hi to their friends, the team ran outside. It left the two girls confused and disappointed.

...

 **I'm sorry about that ending... If you review alot, I'll post the next chapter sooner than later!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Did I confuse you with that ending? I sure hope so… It'll help with the upcoming chapters. ;P**

 **I was previously thinking that it would be a great idea to include the songs I listen to while writing! If you listen to the songs I mention, maybe you'll feel more of the story come to life. For this chapter I suggest you listen to 'Do I Wanna Know?' by Arctic Monkeys, 'Seven Nation Army' by White Stripes and/or 'One Last Time' by Ariana Grande.**

 **The story will evolve. Similar to Michael Jacobs, I'll write it the way I believe is best for all of us.**

 **Discursus: Thank you for the first review! Let me warn you, Charlie will become more annoying as the chapter(s) go on… And Rucas is a work in process. Things will be much slower than how it was going in the beginning!**

 **Guest28: THANKS, LOVE! I feel like I'm very similar to Riley so I could easily describe her feelings or attitude. Here's an update for you!**

 **rebeccas1016: I'm obsessed with you guys liking my story! Thanks so much!**

 **violet1429: AW! :* I'm trying to make them just as cute as how they are in the show! There will be cuter rucas moments coming your way ;)**

 **Guest: Hold your horses! ;) haha Lucas isn't quite on his way to the surgery room just yet…**

 **nona0310: Oh my gosh! Kisses from the US. Espero que te guste la historia! :***

 **KillEmWithKindness02: Good eye with the Napoleon subject… It'll come back into the chapter in the next updates. The team went outside for pizza… but did they come back?**

 **…** **..**

Riley slowly closed her locker and laid her forehead on the cold metal. She stared at her brown lace boots and dark wash jeans. "Peaches, I'm tired."

Maya pulled on Riley's floral top. "Don't say that. When you say you're tired it's because you're sad." The blonde knew why her best friend was upset. "We talked about this. If the guys want to act this way, then let them be." Maya felt a vibration from her jacket's pocket. She looked down and found a new message from Joshua. Even though she wanted to respond quickly, her instinct was to put her phone away and focus on Riley.

The brunette couldn't help but think about the infamous basketball game that occurred just three weeks ago. Lucas had promised that they would talk after the game. They haven't spoken since then. As if that wasn't enough, Farkle and Zay abandoned them as well. The boy's were focused on basketball and on the team. After school the entire team could be heard coming from the gym, laughing and shouting.

The only good that came from the dreaded first game was a new relationship. Just like Maya had predicted, Josh asked her out and they both began to date. Riley was conflicted inside. She wanted to feel happy for her best friend, and simultaneously wanted to cry from the loss of her three friends.

"Riles, we have Shakespeare. Cheer up! It's your favorite class!" Maya hopped in front of her taller friend. "We'll start reading another play today!"

Matthews slightly smiled and nodded. "I guess you're right."

…..

"Good morning class! Today we're going to read a few excerpts from the tragedy 'Antony and Cleopatra'." Ms. Harper smiled as if she achieved world peace.

"Great. More tragedy," Riley murmured to her close friend. She raised her hand. "Harper can I go to the nurse? I feel sick." The brunette looked at Lucas and Farkle chatting from her peripheral view. They hadn't even flinched at the news that Riley wasn't feeling well.

"Um, sure Riley. Go on."

Matthews ran outside towards the nurse but made a sharp turn towards the empty cafeteria. She entered a janitor's closet and began to sob. "Why are my closest friends drifting apart?"

The door knob jiggled and turned.

"Janitor Harley," Riley wiped away her tears, "I'll leave right now."

The older man shook his head. "It's okay. I'll be in the other janitor's room."

Riley gave him a sideways smile as her tears clouded her vision once again.

…..

Maya was angry. No, she was furious. Her best friend in the entire planet was probably _not_ in the nurse's office and probably _was_ crying. As soon as the school bell rang, she stepped up to Farkle and Lucas. She didn't give a flying stick about who she was talking to. "Listen here, idiots. Do you guys know where Riley is?"

Lucas stood quietly. Farkle scoffed, "Aren't you her best friend? You should know."

The brave blonde couldn't believe what she just heard. "You're not the Farkle we met in first grade. And guess what? Because of you two, I don't know where Riley is! She's probably bawling her eyes out!" Maya left a very small space between her and Mr. Minkus. "You're lucky I don't slam you on the ground right now." Her voice became an eerie whisper.

The intellect furrowed his eyebrows in anger. "Why aren't you saying anything to Lucas! He left equally like I did."

Maya directed her eyes to Lucas. She laughed sarcastically, "I expected the Texas heart throb to hurt Riley. There's no surprise there."

Lucas clenched his fists. "Listen, twerp. You don't know me. Now go off with your bestie and get out of my way." His tall figure shadowed over Hart. "Let's go, buddy."

For once in her life, Maya was actually scared. In a short second, it seemed like Lucas was about to hit her. She stood in the empty classroom in shock. Her body was frozen. She knew she had to keep Riley away from their previously named 'friends'.

…..

Gym time came around, which meant the basketball team would occupy the entire space. The rest of the class just sat on the bleachers, watching them play.

Cory glanced at his daughter who was frowning from afar. He waved for her to join him on the sidelines. The coach hugged her and gave her a basketball. "Go on the other half of the court. The boys will be doing drills so they won't use the net."

Riley nodded reluctantly and jogged to the net. In a matter of seconds she began to throw perfect free throws. She hummed to herself while she played.

Charlie Gardner noticed she was alone and ran to her. He snaked his arms around her waist. "Hey, beautiful."

Riley shrieked. "Charlie, get off me!" She pushed him back.

Maya stood up from the bleachers ready to defend her brunette friend. However, she saw that Riley could handle him. "That douchebag."

"Come on, Riley. Why don't we go out some time? I know you're not friends with Farkle and Lucas anymore. You have some free time." Charlie smirked and flexed his arms.

"I don't have free time to hang out with people like you. I'm focused on my studies and being with real friends." Riley crossed her arms and glared at the creepy teen. "Can you go back with your team?"

From a distance Lucas heard the conversation and stopped doing drills. He looked at where he believed Riley was. Inside, guilt ate him alive. However, he knew it was too late to go back to her. She would hate him forever.

"I love it when you play hard to get!" Charlie laughed.

"Aren't you with Missy Bradford?" Riley scoffed. "Head cheerleader, of course."

"We're in an open relationship."

…..

Lucas threw his uniform inside his gym locker and slammed the metal door. Surprisingly, he felt a hand on his pectoral.

"Hey Lucas." A feminine voice whispered mysteriously to him.

"Um, who are you?" Friar thought he knew the voice but he couldn't connect it to a name. He felt the girl's nails scratch his chest softly.

"I'm Missy. We met on the first day of school."

The basketball player furrowed his eyebrows and began to recall the first day. The only girl that truly made a mark on him was Riley. On the other hand, he remembered the group of girls that were giggling while he passed by. His fists clenched. "Aren't you the girl who left me stranded in the middle of the hallway like a piece of meat?"

"Oh, Lucas. Don't think of it that way. I wanted to help you, but my boyfriend would've seen me. He's the jealous type." Missy twirled her hair even though the Texas-born guy couldn't see her. "Want to sneak out with me?"

Lucas was aware that Missy wasn't very innocent. He guessed she wasn't a virgin and knew what she was doing. Something inside told him to stay away from her. "No. I don't want any trouble."

"You're going to get trouble either way." The girl walked away with a mischievous smile.

…..

"Peaches, can we go eat some pizza? I think I need some comfort food." Riley put her head on Maya's shoulder. "Double cheese, please."

"Okay. We'll eat some pizza and then we'll watch your favorite movie! Miss Congeniality." Maya smiled at her partner and grabbed her phone. "Oh my gosh! I forgot! I have a date with Josh today…" The blonde frowned.

Riley gave her another sideways smile. She had been giving everyone one of those frequently. "It's fine. Go have fun with my uncle." The brunette disappointedly began to walk to her house.

Maya shook her head in a disapproval. "Wait up! I'll tell Josh to join us tonight. I wouldn't want to leave you behind." She quickly texted her boyfriend the invite and threw her phone inside her bag. "There."

…..

"Thanks uncle Josh for having your date here. Watching that movie with you guys made me feel ten times better." Riley gave the couple a sincere smile. Her hair was tied in a ponytail and she wore pajamas while hugging her pillow pet. "It's like a sleepover!"

Josh chuckled and ruffled his niece's hair. "Anything for you. But let me ask, why are you so upset lately?"

Maya nudged him in the stomach.

"I guess I've been feeling lonely and hurt. Lucas and Farkle, the guys on the basketball team, don't talk to Maya and I anymore. I actually kinda had a crush on Lucas." Riley frowned.

"I think a crush is underestimating it. She loved the boy for a solid three weeks." Maya laughed lightly. "But she deserves someone better."

"It's crazy that we're already done with October. The beginning of senior year went flying by." Riley was disappointed that her senior year started to decline. "I want to go back to September." She grabbed her phone and opened the application for twitter. While she was scrolling down her timeline, she found a suspicious tweet from Missy.

 _Everything's bigger and better in Texas ;) #sorrynotsorry_

Matthews' vision blurred while she read the innuendo. "Guys, I'm gonna go to the bathroom!" She threw her phone on the ground and dragged herself to the bathroom.

Maya quickly got up and picked up her best friend's phone. She scanned the tweet and clenched her fists until her knuckles were extremely white. "Girls like these are disgusting." She showed Josh the screen.

"If I see this Lucas kid, I'm going to punch him."

…..

The next morning Lucas woke up with the sun hitting his sculpted face. He slowly opened his eyelids and stretched. "Time to go to school."

He slipped on his dark wash jeans and picked out a flannel shirt. While slipping on his boots, he heard his phone vibrate. There were 30 voice messages from different people.

 _You got freaky with Missy? Dude!_

 _I was with her once. She's great._

 _Dude, how can you go out with someone like Missy?_

Lucas ran out the front door and hurried to get to school.

…..

It wasn't a surprise that Lucas was received at the building with nudges from the basketball team. Snickers followed and giggles could be heard wherever he walked. The only two people Lucas hadn't heard from was Farkle and Zay. He waited until gym to search for his best buds.

When he reached the basketball court, he heard the voices he was looking for. "Guys! I gotta talk to you."

Zay crossed his arms and scoffed. "I have to go. Didn't think you would go out with someone like Missy Bradford. And worst than that, go out with another guy's girl." He rapidly walked away.

Farkle laughed. "Ignore him. He's just mad you got some."

Lucas couldn't believe what he was hearing. When he first met Farkle, he seemed to be respectful and trusting. Now, he sounded like the rest of the team. "Let's talk about something else. Why don't we work on free throws this afternoon?"

"Sorry, buddy. I don't think I need the help. You should go practice… cause you need it." Farkle smirked and cracked his fingers.

"Excuse me? Why do I need to practice?" Lucas' anger began to rise.

"I mean, you're blind so you need all the help you could get." Minkus laughed and grabbed his gym bag. He began to walk towards the exit.

Friar charged from the top of the bleachers to the bottom. Suddenly, everything went black.

…..

 **DUN DUN DUN.**

 **IMPORTANT: Can anyone guess the relation between Napoleon and the story development?**


	7. Chapter 7

**For this chapter, I suggest you listen to 'Needed Me' by Rihanna and 'No Role Modelz' by J. Cole.**

 **It hurt me to write such a negative dialogue between Lucas and Farkle in the last chapter. Keep reviewing with your thoughts! xx**

 **violet1429: I'm glad you understood the connection! We'll be expanding on that subject.**

 **Marilove24: Thanks, lovely! Keep your eyes peeled for updates!**

 **KillEmWithKindness02: You're not wrong with the connect between Napoleon and that character! Keep reading to find the reason for the separation of friends. Farkle DID interpret the saying as an insult which is what you will see in this chapter. I live for your reviews! THANKS.**

 **nona0310: I'm partially hispanic so I'm better than Roberta ;D XP But YOU'RE freaking cute! We'll be touching on Riley's mental health and her relationship with Lucas. I love that you're a peruvian fan! And don't worry about spelling mistakes… we all make those!**

 **Discursus: Missy is the worst in GMW! I feel like she has no good side. Hope you like this new update!**

 **rebeccas1016: Thank you! I'll be trying to make it a bit more angsty.**

 **rocker: Patience is a great virtue. Keep reading to find about Lucas!**

 **jaleftwicih: You'll love the rest (hopefully)!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything you recognize.**

…..

Lucas felt a large weight on his eyelids. He heard beeps around him, but he couldn't quite put together why his body ached.

"Doc, we got here as soon as we could. What happened?" The injured teen recognized his father's voice. "He fell?"

"It seems like he was running on the bleachers and missed a step. He fell face first onto the school's gym floor. Your boy is lucky he didn't receive a concussion, but the hit was so strong that he was unconscious for a long time." The doctor touched Lucas' wrist. "He's doing fine but he's extremely tired. I strongly recommend he has an eye surgery to gain his sight back. If he doesn't, I'm afraid he won't be able to participate in sports."

That last sentence ran on in Lucas' mind. Basketball was the only hobby that made him feel normal in school. He knew he was good and could be even greater.

As soon as he heard the doctor step out of the hospital room, his mother asked, "Can you hear us, son?"

"Yeah, mama. I'm just really weak. My head is pounding." Lucas winced as he opened his eyelids. Even though he couldn't see anything like the bright hospital lights, he was irritated by the machines surrounding him.

"We're glad you're okay. One of your friends called us and the ambulance. We're really grateful they knew your speed dial numbers."

Lucas began to wonder who had called his parents. It surely wasn't anyone from the basketball team… Except Farkle and Zay. "Was it one of my buddies?"

His dad shook his head 'no'. "I think it was a girl. Her name was Miley Cashews? I think?" He put a finger to his chin and adjusted his belt.

Lucas' mother laughed. "Riley Matthews, honey. Your coach's daughter found you unconscious and knew that I was number four on your flip phone." His mom stood up and walked to a table near the window. "A few of your friends left some presents. Zay left a CD from the Arctic Monkeys and Billy brought food. Someone even brought you a bouquet of red roses and cherry blossoms! They left a note signed 'Hermia'." She giggled. "I guess someone has an admirer."

 _Hermia. Shakespeare. Riley._ Lucas felt guilt consume him entirely. Reality punched him in the face and spat on him. What would he do to gain Riley's trust once again? How would he show his face after almost hitting Maya? "We were just friends."

Lucas' mom shrugged. "Farkle also left you a message on your phone. You should listen to it." She handed her son the phone.

 _"_ _Hey buddy. I'm sorry I said those things before. I sounded like the huge jerk I've become. I hope I wasn't the cause of your accident. I'm going to try to make things right between you and me. Talk to me whenever you need me."_

A small smile formed on Lucas' face. He was grateful that Farkle apologized for his attitude. Now, the Texas teen knew he had to clean his reputation. He dialed Farkle's number. "Hi, buddy. I need you to do me a favor…"

…..

"He deserves the injuries!" Maya couldn't believe that Riley helped Lucas after the pain he caused her.

"I know he wasn't a good friend, but he needed me. Missy wasn't going to help him." Riley rolled her eyes annoyingly and sat at the cafeteria table. She smoothed down her floral dress and crossed her legs. "I'm glad I did what a good person does."

"On top of it all you sent him a gift! What was that bouquet for?!"

Riley tried to dodge the question but knew she couldn't escape it. "I felt bad. Deep inside I still love the guy I met on the first day."

In the distance, the two friends watched as Zay approached them. He smiled at them but received no grin in return.

"I deserve being ignored. Can you hear me out?" He scratched the back of his neck and gave the girls an apologetic smile.

"Out of the three idiots, you're the one that hurt us the least," Maya paused. "Speak."

"I was an idiot to stop talking to you gals. After the first win, I guess I thought I could only hang out with basketball players. But not being with you both made me realize how awful everyone else is. They don't care about their friends as much you two do. Please, forgive me."

Riley stood up and ran to hug Zay. She grinned as she felt him become comfortable. "Of course. I'm glad to have you back!"

Maya gave him a small smile. "It's good to talk to you once again, dude." She stood up and joined the group hug. "Now," she pinched his arm, "Explain this Missy and Lucas situation."

…..

Farkle cautiously entered the hospital room and found Lucas listening to the radio. "Good afternoon, Lucas." He smiled and sat next to his friend. "Mr. Matthews let me skip History to come visit you."

Friar indicated Farkle to give him a fist bump. "I'm glad to hear from you."

"I'm sorry again, for that nasty comment I said. I shouldn't have used your blindness against you. I guess I let my ego get the best of me." Farkle looked down at his feet. "We've both been really cruel. Especially to Maya and Riley."

"You knew Riley called my parents and the ambulance?"

Minkus shook his head. "I found out you were hurt after the ambulance arrived. If I would've seen you injured first, I would've definitely speed dialed your dad."

"Thanks, Farkle. But I gotta tell you, I didn't do anything with Missy." Lucas was embarrassed of everyone's reaction. "She made that up. She tried to take me out on a date and I told her 'no'. That tweet she posted was probably her revenge."

The intellect nodded. "I'm sure Riley will be happy when she finds out." He frowned. "That is, if she ever talks to us again."

"That's another reason why I wanted to talk to you. How are we going to get her and Maya's trust back?"

"It's not gonna be easy. That's for sure. We'll brainstorm, but I gotta go. Seems like the doctor is coming in with your parents."

…..

"I don't know anything! I was just as grossed out as you! Missy was dating Charlie." Zay winced as he put a hand on his arm. "You pinch like my grandma!"

Maya ignored his last comment. "Of course Ranger Rick would get involved with that skank."

"Peaches, it's fine. He's making his own choices. Even if they are the absolute worst." Riley intended to maintain her cool but her mind took a detour. She began to freak out. "They're probably gonna run away together and have babies and die!"

"Well that went dark." Maya shrugged, "I think we could survive without them."

"Are you gonna visit Lucas at the hospital?" Riley asked Zay.

"I kinda don't want to see him. I'm glad he's okay, but I'm not cool with what he's been doing." Zay checked his phone. "Farkle keeps texting me but I don't want to talk to him either."

"What happened?" Maya asked.

Babineaux looked at her in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"We know why you left us, but what happened with Lucas and Farkle?" Riley clarified.

Zay shrugged. "I guess you'd have to ask them… But my conclusion is that they both became extremely conceited. Farkle started to think he could do whatever he wanted, and Lucas thought he was the toughest guy on the team." He chuckled, "They began to act just like the rest of the basketball team. I may love basketball but that doesn't mean I enjoy playing with those douches."

…..

After speaking to their zany friend, Riley was reminded of the handsome Texas boy. She had a civil war in her conscious.

 _Just go._

 _Don't go! He hurt your heart!_

 _Everyone deserves a second chance!_

 _You're naive and stupid._

A doorbell interrupted her thoughts. She wasn't expecting anyone, so opening the door to a delivery man was a surprise. "Um, hi?"

The man pulled a bouquet of daises and yellow tulips from his messenger bag. "Delivery for Riley Matthews. A note from the sender is between the stems."

The brunette furrowed her eyebrows with concern. "Uh, thank you! I guess?" She quickly accepted the flowers and shut the door. Her hands fiddled with the flowers until the note was between her fingers.

" _Or if there were a sympathy in choice,_

 _War, death, or sickness did lay siege to it,_

 _Making it momentary as a sound._ "

The young woman's jaw dropped and her hand flew to cover her mouth. She read out loud the note once more and read the signature. " _Lysander_." She grinned from ear to ear and squealed towards her room. Her head was in the clouds when Maya entered her room.

"Sunshine, I've been in the room for 5 minutes. Where did you get those flowers?"

Riley was in a dream state. "He basically said that anything that separates us will be temporarily."

"Are you hearing yourself?! It's Lucas! Ranger Rick! He left us! He doesn't even have the guts to speak to you to your face?" Maya's face was red with fury. "You need to ignore him."

Matthews chuckled. "Don't worry, Peaches. Even though this makes me really happy, I'm going to make him work to get my trust back." She stood up and smelled her flowers. "In the meantime, I'll be watering my flowers."

…..

The following day, Lucas returned to school. He knew he had to start over with Riley and Maya. Above all, he had to win Riley's trust back. As he walked through the halls, he arrived to the locker he had memorized on the first day. "Hey, Riles."

The goofy brunette slightly smiled. "Hi." She barely acknowledged him and continued to pick up her books.

"Did you like the flowers?" Lucas asked. He felt his neck begin to heat up.

"Yes. They were beautiful." Riley looked at him for a few seconds before returning her attention to her folders and notes.

Friar sighed. "It's gonna take more than flowers to gain your friendship, right?" He put a hand to his temple.

Riley nodded. "You're smart, Lucas. I have faith that you'll do what's right." The brunette smiled and began to walk towards her next class.

When she disappeared from the hallway, Lucas bang his head against the metal locker. "I think I know what I have to do."

…..

Maya rolled her eyes with irritation as she whiffed Missy's perfume. Missy acknowledged the reaction and snickered. "How's your older boyfriend, hoe?" She sprayed on more of her scent. "You're dating an older guy cause' you don't have a dad right?"

Even though she was strong as a bull, Maya began to weaken right before Bradford's eyes.

"You should check yourself before you start calling other girls 'hoe', Missy." Lucas stepped in front of Maya and stared at where he supposed Missy was standing. "Why don't you tell everyone how you're tweet about you and me is fake."

Missy scoffed. "You're going to regret trying to confront me."

Lucas rolled his eyes in disbelief. "Who do you think you are?"

The bully with high heels ran away and left the blonde beauty with the tough teen.

Maya narrowed her eyes at Lucas. "What do you want… A 'thank you' from me?" She crossed her arms in front of her chest. "You're probably trying to be nice so you could use Riley."

Friar shook his head in disagreement. "I owe you a sincere apology for threatening you. I let my anger and pride get the best of me." He bowed his head towards his feet in disappointment. "I want to gain back your trust."

Hart reluctantly nodded. "You're gonna have to keep trying to win us back, especially after everything you did to Riley." She cracked a small smile. "But I don't hate you anymore."


	8. Chapter 8

**I'm going to let you guys in a little secret… I've never made it to 8 chapters in a story! I'm going to finish this story… I don't know when, but it will be completed! I appreciate all of you for reading.**

 **violet1429: Thanks so much! 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' is my FAVORITE play from William Shakespeare. I'm glad the boys are trying to fix their errors… but will they be able to gain Riley's trust? ;) We shall find out, haha. But don't worry, it won't take forever! I always love reading your reviews! Thank you for sticking with me. :)**

 **nona0310: Lucas has been changing since he moved from Texas. Let's hope he can reach his full potential and be himself 100%! His note was my favorite part too. And trust me, I want to make Lucas suffer a bit ;D Aw, I love your reviews! You're so sweet. I hope you're enjoying your day in Peru!**

 **Marissa Davis: I'm trying to involve presents Riley would like from Lucas. Gonna make him sweat, haha! He knows Riley wants him to do the right thing, not only with her, but with all their friends. Thanks for you review!**

 **Discursus: Haha yes! They need to be united! Thanks for reviewing!**

 **KillEmWithKindness02: Woo-hoo! :D Zay always speaks his mind! You know him, haha. Thank you so much for being a loyal reader! You're the best. :***

 **Also, for today's chapter I would recommend the following tunes: 'Outside' by Ellie Goulding and Calvin Harris or 'This Is What You Came For' by Rihanna and Calvin Harris.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything you recognize.**

…..

"He apologized? I can't believe he did that!" Riley's mouth was in an 'O' shape.

"You and me both, kid." Maya laughed. Both girls discussed about their day and what Lucas had done for each. "Riles, do you think it's wrong that I'm dating your uncle?"

The brunette looked at her best friend with confusion. "Look, if this is about Missy… You shouldn't pay her any mind. If she called you that horrible thing, it's because she has no kindness in her heart."

"But what about you? Do _you_ , Riley Matthews, think it's wrong?" Maya questioned with gleamy eyes. "Your opinion matters so much to me."

Matthews gave the blonde a smile and a sideways hug. "I want you to be happy. You deserve to love whoever you love. Plus, you aren't doing anything illegal." Riley stood up from the bay window and stepped into her bathroom.

While the tough beauty waited for Riley, she checked her phone for any messages. "Huh, that's weird. Farkle wants to meet me at the park." Maya spoke to herself out loud. "I'm going to give him a second chance, just like Riles does."

…..

It was six in the afternoon when the basketball team finished practicing. Zay tried to escape without saying a word, but Lucas and Farkle ran behind him. They stopped him with unsteady breathes.

"Z-Zay, we n-need to apol… apologize!" Lucas rested his hands on his knees.

"We're sorry for the way we've been acting," Farkle stated exasperated. "We've been ditching our real friends for popularity." The intellect put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I'm sorry."

Lucas nodded in agreement. "We definitely let ourselves act like people we're not. I let my anger issues come out to play."

Their African-American friend smiled. "Thanks for being mature about it guys. Even though I just started to hang out with you guys in the beginning of the year, I know you both are great people." The three of them huddled into a group hug. "Let's go hit the plaza and eat some food!"

Farkle laughed. "Guys, I'm gonna have to take a rain check. I need to talk to Maya."

…..

Maya sat on the wooden park bench looking at the large trees. It was very chilly, so she wore a winter jacket on top of her cotton sweater, booties and thermal leggings. Maya's headphones hid under her beanie, and her mouth covered with a turquoise scarf.

"Hey." Farkle appeared from behind the blonde. He stared at the Central Park view and sighed. "Can I sit next to you?"

Hart nodded and moved slightly.

"Are you cold? Here, take my jacket."

"No, Farkle. I'm fine. Say what you need to say." Maya snapped at Farkle quickly. Her arms were crossed and her ears perked, ready to listen.

"I'm sorry that I wasn't the friend you knew since first grade. I've always been by your side and I didn't know I could be so mean. After being really focused in basketball, I forgot you and Riley were my focus as well." Farkle raked his hair with his hands. He nudged Maya which indicated her to look at him. He smiled sweetly at her and stared into her eyes.

All of a sudden, Maya's stomach was churning. She felt knots form and her heart pound.

 _Has Farkle always been this handsome?_

"I accept your apology." She smiled at him and a blush crept on her face.

 _What the heck are you doing?! You're dating Joshua!_

Maya shivered. "Let's go home. It's starting to get extremely cold." She rubbed her hands together.

"I'll buy you a cup of coffee." Farkle smiled once again and captured the blonde's gaze.

…..

"Are you crazy?! That sounded like a date!" Zay shook Farkle's shoulders. "You're dead, dude!"

Lucas shook his head in disapproval. "You know she's taken. Why did you play with her feelings?"

"I don't know! I've always loved Maya." Farkle paced back and forth inside Lucas' bedroom. "She's tough, and we have similar ideas."

"I thought you loved Maya and Riley equally?" Lucas furrowed his eyebrows, wondering.

"Don't worry, Ranger Rick. I won't steal your girl," Farkle paused. He glared at the Texas stud who smirked in response. "I guess I love Riley like a friend. I look out for her, but we would never be a great couple."

Zay sighed. "So what are you gonna do about these feelings you have?"

Farkle stood tall. "I'm going to be smart about it and tell her the truth. I'll let her choose who she wants to be with."

…..

"You _what_?!" Riley panicked as she heard Maya's words. "You think you like Farkle?!"

"I thought you were the one who wanted Farkle and I to end up together!" Maya looked at her brunette friend, frustrated. "You said it yourself, Riles!"

"Yeah, I said that if my uncle Josh wasn't _totally interested_ in you!" Riley fell onto her bed. She looked at the ceiling. "Tell me specifically what you're thinking."

Hart quickly followed Matthews and fell on top of the bed next to the brunette. "For the first time, I noticed how much Farkle cares about us. When he said he had to focus on us, I felt so protected. And I kinda started to think he's cute." She bit her lip. "I feel so guilty."

Both girls stared at the ceiling in silence. A few moments later, Riley spoke up. "You can't play with both of their emotions. You have to define your emotions and relationships once and for all."

"You say it like it's easy." Maya rolled her eyes. "How do I choose?"

Riley chuckled. "I think you should pick whoever makes you a better person. The guy that'll help you grow, not bring you down." The brunette realized her own words applied to her situation too. "I need to make that clear to Lucas." With those final words, the brunette stood up and went to her living room.

"Sweetie, I have to tell you something!" Topanga grinned while sitting on the couch. "You won't believe the email I just read."

"What's it say? Is it my confirmation for the concert tickets I bought?!" Riley jumped up and down, excitedly.

Her mother shook her head in disagreement. "No, it's a reply from NYU! They received your essay on Woman's Rights and want you to attend the school starting next year!" She flailed her arms in excitement.

"What? I never sent them an essay? How can they enroll me if I never applied?" Riley's mind was completely lost in thought. "Are you sure it's not a spam?"

Topanga narrowed her eyes at her daughter. "Love, I'm a lawyer. Best student in my classes. Seven-hundred 'A's. You're asking me if I'm sure?" She laughed. "That's like asking Einstein what's 2 plus 2."

Riley rolled her eyes. "I'm going to find out how they got my essay in the first place."

…..

"Hey Riles." Lucas smiled at the happy teenage girl. "How are you?"

One step at a time, Lucas and Riley began to talk more. At first it was just a greeting. Now, she's speaking to him for longer periods of time.

"I'm great! I found out I got into NYU, without even applying! Would you know anything about that?" Riley raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

Friar laughed. "Who wouldn't love you? You're Riley Matthews." He grinned and walked into Cory's class. Riley was left without words.

As soon as Lucas arrived inside the classroom, he walked up to Mr. Matthews' desk. "Thank you, sir, for the help. She doesn't suspect a thing." The handsome young man gave the older man a thumbs up.

"You've done a good thing, Lucas. Thank you." Cory was grateful for the teen's actions. Don't mistaken him, he was aware of what Lucas had done to Riley. However, as his teacher and coach, he knew that Friar was a smart guy.

Riley walked into the classroom and handed her father in a report on Napoleon Bonaparte. "Here, dad! I hope it's just as insightful as the way you teach!" She grinned and folded her hands across her desk.

"Your flattery isn't going to get you extra credit, sweetie." Cory playfully shook his head. He put the report on his desk and walked to the chalkboard. "What did you guys learn from the infamous dictator?"

Farkle raised his hand. "Sir, he was known as the emperor of France from 1804 to 1814 and then once more in 1815. He was also the King of Italy from 1805 to 1814. His first wife, Josephine, cheated on him and he still managed to love her after her divorce. His final words were actually a remembrance of Josephine."

Cory nodded in agreement. "What else?"

Maya spoke up without raising her hand. "There's a great controversy that Napoleon wasn't a dictator at all. Writers speak about how it dishonors Napoleon, to be compared to dictator's like Hitler."

Cory smiled. "Good job, Maya. I know you worked hard on that paper, even though you didn't have the same access to computers as the rest of us." Maya spoke to him about the need of a computer and a printer in her home. "Although, I want to know… what did you guys learn from Napoleon that could be useful for you?"

"You could still love someone, even though they've hurt you," Farkle responded.

"Right!" Mr. Matthews exclaimed. "What else?"

Lucas raised his hand. "He had a large amount of pride. Even though this pride helped him conquer lots of land, at the end he lost the battle of Waterloo." The blond thought of Riley and gave the class a sad smile. "We have to be careful that our pride doesn't get the best of us or we'll lose what's important to us."

Riley turned around and glanced at Lucas. She realized what he was trying to say. The apology hidden in that comment warmed her heart. Her hand went up in the air. "Napoleon left his legacy upon the entire world. To make big changes in our lives, we have to take chances." Internally, she had forgiven Lucas. It was a big risk that she hoped would change her life for the better.

…..

 **Awww I hope you guys liked this chapter! Before you leave this chapter… it's time to ponder.**

 **If you recall the previous chapter with Lucas in the hospital, you might remember the doctor encouraging the family to arrange plans for the eye surgery. He strongly disapproved Lucas playing basketball. And yet, he's still playing basketball! Will there be any consequences for that?**

 **Why do you think the surgery hasn't happened?**

 **Now that Riley has forgiven Lucas, what is going to happen with their relationship?**

 **Riley has been accepted in NYU… But Lucas planned on going back to Texas after his surgery… What will he do?**

 **Who do you guys think deserves to be with Maya?**

 **SO MANY QUESTIONS. EVEN I AM CONFUSED AND I KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN… (I think XD). I won't update until Sunday, so reread if you have to! :P :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry for the late update, loves! This week will be a tough week for me to update but I will try.**

 **violet1429: I know, it was A LOT of questions to answer XD… But you're definitely right with the doctor related answer. We'll see the consequences of Lucas playing in the next couple of chapters. NYU will be a complicated arc so get ready ;) Markle and Joshaya… who will win? XP**

 **jaleftwich: RUCAS IS COMING! I just don't know when lol… And yes, the surgery thing is real! I did my research before I wrote Chapter 1. I'm not sure if I will write Maya's decision based on what you guys want or what I think is right so… AH I AM SO INDECISIVE.**

 **rucasfaith: thank you for reading my story anyways! That means so much! Enjoy the rucas in this chapter, lovely!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything you recognize!**

…..

Riley smiled as she watched Cuddle Bunnies on the living room television. It was a bright Friday morning and there was no school for Abigail Adams High. Outside, the streets were covered with a white blanket of snow. "This day is going to be my relaxing day."

Topanga raised an eyebrow. She walked from the kitchen to the couch. "By relax do you mean do absolutely nothing?" The responsible mother crossed her arms.

The pretty brunette nodded enthusiastically. "Yay!"

Her little brother, Auggie Matthews, appeared at the frame of the hallway. "Cuddle bunnies!" He ran to the couch and tackled his older sister. "6th grade is no match for this show!"

"You both realize this show is intended for six year old children, right?" Topanga laughed. Her two kids glared at her simultaneously. "Anyways, Riley, you haven't been helping me out with the store lately. Auggie has been helping me clean up in the mornings."

Riley disagreed passionately. "What about that time I- wait, no. How about yesterday when I-"

"You're coming with me. Final word. Get dressed comfortably. You'll be baking today." Topanga smirked and adjusted her pantsuit. "Have a good day, Auggie!"

The 11 year-old waved cheerfully while Riley rolled her eyes.

…..

"What a great day!" Mrs. Matthews grinned while she took off her jacket and shook her boots. "You okay, honey?"

Riley glared at her mother. "I'm frozen!" The brunette waddled inside the store and waited until the frostbite disappeared. She sighed. "What do I have to do?"

"Great question!" Topanga raced to the counter and grabbed an apron and a bowl. "Start making muffins and cookies. The recipe is on top of the back shelf. You'll be fine, Riles."

Not a minute too soon, Riley began to bake. She hummed to herself as she stirred the mixture of dry and wet ingredients. When making the cookies, she poured flour on her hands and began to knead the dough. The heat from the oven was hovering over her tauntingly, leaving Riley heated. She passed the back of her hand against her forehead and left a streak of white.

"Sweetie! Make sure you check on the oven! I'm making the sandwiches."

Ms. Matthews washed her hands as she transferred the cookie sheet into the oven. She took out the muffins that were now fully baked. The golden crust and delicious blueberries made Riley's stomach growl. "Just a few more hours left."

The front door opened with a gust of wind. Someone entered and stood in front of the cash register.

"Give me a second!" Riley shouted. She quickly put the muffins on display and ran to the customer. She wiped her hands on her apron. "Good morning! Welcome to Topanga's. What would y-" Riley looked up. "Lucas?"

The blond smiled. "I knew that voice was familiar! Are you working today?" He leaned on the counter.

"Y-Yeah, my mom needed my help so I came down. What would you like to order?" Riley blushed as she admired Lucas' charm. She put her palm on her forehead and felt the flour on her skin. "Oh my God!" The goofy teen laughed.

"What happened?" Lucas questioned.

"Nothing, I got baking flour on my face! It's embarrassing!" She wiped her face clean with a rag.

"I wish I could see that! You probably still look adorable." Friar winked at Riley and left her once again flushed. "I'll take a muffin, one ham and cheese sandwich, and a medium coffee."

"I'll be right back with your food in a minute!" Riley ran to the display cases and quickly grabbed the muffin and sandwich. She carefully poured some coffee and milk in a plastic cup and packed it neatly in a brown bag. "Done."

Lucas chuckled. "You didn't have to rush. I'm just like the other customers."

"You're my friend, Lucas. Besides, it helps me relax between orders."

"So you forgive me? We're friends again?"

Riley looked at him with worry.

 _Does he even like me?_

She likes having friends, but she knows Lucas and her could never be _just_ friends. That would crush her heart. "Of course. The food is on the house!"

Lucas furrowed his eyebrows in disbelief. "Are you kidding me? You worked too hard to just give me this." He shook his head. "When is your lunch break? Maybe I could return the favor. We could walk through the city." His winter jacket hung attractively on his broad shoulders.

Riley couldn't help but grin at the boy standing close to her. "I'd love that. My break is in an hour. Would you mind?"

"Not at all." Lucas dismissed her and he walked to a small corner of the shop.

Minutes quickly passed by for Riley while she served the customers. Every once in a while she would glance at Lucas and check on what he was doing. He had headphones inside his ears and it seemed like he was clearing his head of any stress. Riley admired his peaceful smile.

"So, seems like it wasn't such a bad idea you came, huh?" Topanga appeared suddenly next to her daughter.

"You knew he was coming?" The smaller Matthews was shocked. "Thanks, mom."

Her mother winked and walked to the register. "You can head out for an early lunch break. Don't make this gentleman wait anymore."

Riley nodded and quickly took out her apron. She let her hair down from the bun she previously wore and adjusted her long-sleeved dress. "Thanks again, mommy! I'll be back at 1!"

Topanga admired her daughter's love for her friends. She was mesmerized by the young love blooming from Riley and Lucas. The wise woman recalled her blooming romance with Cory. "It's not just a first crush. It's first love."

…..

Friar held onto Riley's shoulder while they walked the streets. "How are you handling the acceptance to NYU, Riles?"

She laughed. "I still can't believe it! I'm trying to find who sent that email. I have a hunch my parents know who did it, but they won't tell me." Riley turned onto an avenue filled with stores and restaurants. "Where do you want to go?"

"If you want, we could go to my favorite store." Lucas smirked.

"We are not going to Sport's Authority." Riley teased the Texas teen. "You sure love sports!"

"Oh come on! You're gonna tell me you don't like a single sport?" He tried to dig deep into Riley's personality. "Baseball? Soccer? Basketball?"

The brunette shrugged. "I guess I like soccer and basketball. My favorite team for the latter is the Knicks well, cause' we live in the Garden." She thought about the soccer games she has watched. "For soccer I think it's FC Barcelona."

"See! You do know about sports!" Lucas laughed and grinned at Riley. "But I'm not going to make you suffer at the store. Why don't I buy you lunch and we head back?"

Both high school seniors chatted with smiles on their faces. They had conversations similar to the one on his first day in the city. As they approached the store, the dialogue between them became more personal.

"Have your parents mentioned anything about the operation?"

Lucas remained silent for a few seconds. "They're having some doubts. I think the charity that supports me has the money, but my mom is worried the surgery will cause more damage." He stared at Riley's shoes. "I really want to see."

"Then you have to go for it! Tell your parents you're willing to plunge into the pool of uncertainty." Riley opened her arms.

Lucas chuckled. "You are certainly something special, Riles. You know, you should go to my practice next week." He slowly lowered his hand to where her small hand was. Lucas held it softly. "You're a great motivation."

The brunette blushed. "Sure. I'd like that a lot."

…..

The following afternoon, Riley walked into Maya's room with chocolate, popcorn, and movies. "Peaches, we have to make a decision right now. It's either Farkle or my uncle Josh."

Maya scowled at her friend. "You can't just force me to make a choice!"

Either fate or coincidence made Maya's phone ring with two text messages.

 _I hope you make your decision soon. It would help me clear my head. -Farkle_

"Let me guess. Both of them texted you?" Riley smirked. "Tonight's the night!" Matthews hopped onto Maya's squeaky bed and flared her arms into the air.

"Relax, crazy. I'm not the bachelorette."

 _Call me when you can. I need to tell you something. -Joshua_

"Uh oh. Josh wants me to call him!" The blonde hopped onto the bed with Riley. "No relaxing! No relaxing! I gotta call him right now." She quickly dialed her boyfriend's number and internal panicked. "Hello?"

 _"_ _Hey, babe. I know you're deciding who you want to be with, but I just need to tell you… I love you."_

Maya's jaw dropped along with her phone. She picked up the phone and responded, "I didn't know you felt that way. I thought you didn't take us seriously." Her eyes were becoming blurry with anxious tears.

 _"_ _What? Of course I took us seriously. That's why I didn't want us to date earlier. I really think that the relationships that blossom come from mature people."_

Riley pressed her ear against the small cell phone and cooed. "He's so sweet! You have to pick him!"

 _"_ _Niece, I could hear you."_

Maya rolled her eyes. "I'll talk to you as soon as I can with my decision. Thanks for letting me know how you feel." She hung up quickly and ran to her bed. "Can we go to Rileytown and forget about this?"

"Look, Penelope, think about this carefully. You've never liked Farkle! How do you like him now all of a sudden?!"

"Things suddenly changed. I don't know. We have always connected. And ever since he started to dress different and comb his hair a certain way, I find him attractive! Remember that assignment on beliefs? Him and I look at the world in a similar way."

Riley shook her head. "What about that thing I told you? Did you think about who makes you a better person?"

Maya sighed. "I think… Josh makes me want to be mature and responsible. At the same time, we have things in common but we're different. The best part about him is that he's part of your family. I know you're family would never hurt me."

The brunette grinned. "Alright then! Party at Rileytown! Josh is the winner."

"But," Maya paused, "Farkle makes me want to expand my education because he's really smart. He knows how to impress me in the weirdest ways." She laughed. "He's always had faith in me. Just like you have faith in me."

Riley banged her head across the wall. "I'm done. I'm going on a vacation to Rileytown alone!"

"Wait! I think I know who I love."

…..

Monday quickly rolled around the corner and introduced Maya with an immense obstacle. She tried to avoid Farkle at all costs because in her mind, she had a specific plan. The blonde was going to meet with the two young men after school.

Meanwhile, Riley was excited to accompany her favorite handsome teen at his basketball practice. They walked together to the gym.

"Wait for me right here! I'll leave my bag with you while I go change." Lucas smiled at Riley and put a hand on her shoulder. Afterwards he quickly ran to the locker rooms. However, he later realized he forgot his lucky jersey. "Hey Billy! Can you get me my jersey from my bag?"

"No can do, dude. I'm gonna get dressed."

Friar tried to get someone's attention but they were all too focused to do him a favor. He had no other choice then to go outside of the locker room and call Riley over. "Riley! Can you bring me my jersey?"

Riley was scrolling through her social media until she heard her name being yelled. She looked up and found a shirtless Lucas at the doorframe of the entrance. "Oh my God! Why aren't you wearing a shirt?" She blushed as she tried to look at anything but his sculpted form.

"I forgot my shirt. Can you give it to me so I could be fully dressed? If your dad sees me, he'll bench me!" Lucas panicked as well.

Quickly and swiftly, Riley gave Lucas his jersey. Even though she was as innocent as a white dove, she had to admit that it was hard to avoid his toned physique. As soon as he put on the jersey she exhaled in relief. "That was a close one."

"Oh come on! You enjoyed what you were seeing." Lucas smirked.

"Oh please. Don't flatter yourself! Start playing some b-ball, Friar." Riley rolled her eyes in annoyance as the teen flirted. She knew he was right, but she wasn't going to tell _him_ that.

…..

Maya coughed. "I'm glad to see both of you. Now I'll tell you both how I feel. I love…"

…..

 **CLIFFHANGER! I'm sorry if this seems rushed, I've been busy with school work. Let me know what you guys want to see! xx**


	10. Chapter 10

**DRUMROLL…**

 **I mean this in the nicest way possible: the decisions I make in my writing are for the benefit of the characters. It's not just what you guys want, or just want I want, but a good balance of both. I hope you don't quit reading for this choice! The main focus of this story is RUCAS. I will be turning the attention back to rucas ASAP! Thanks for all of your support. :) Love to all of you!**

 **Guest: Keep reading to find out who Maya picked!**

 **nona0310: Aw, it made me so happy to read your review! I hope you'll always enjoy these updates. :***

 **jaleftwich: I hope you accept the choice Maya made :) It'll be for the best reasons. I didn't quite understand the congressman joke, can you explain it to me? Thanks for your positive words!**

 **violet1429: Lucas will hopefully keep being more confident with Riley. Thank you for liking my writing! Today, you'll see what happens when you don't follow the doctors orders. :X Thanks for your lovely and positive review!**

 **Guest (2): ;) I don't get influenced easily… ;P**

 **CodenameR.A.L: YOUR REVIEW MADE ME LAUGH XD Don't worry, that horrible cliffhanger choice that makes no sense will not appear in this story. Maya WILL make a decision! And hi! My name is Nicole. :D Now you know me!**

 **Discursus: Your review reminded me of the great need of Topanga and Riley moments :( I will be including more of those in here!**

 **Marissa Davis: Same here! To this day I have a hard time between choosing Markle or Joshaya.**

…..

The day seemed anything but slow for Maya. She was aware that by tonight, she would have clarified who her future involved: Farkle or Joshua. When the school clock struck three, Maya rushed into the girl's bathroom to meet up with Riley.

"Hey Peaches! Guess who's gonna be with Lucas all afternoon?!" The clumsy brunette closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. It seemed like her mind was occupied with the same thought since the past Friday.

"Riles, I'm happy you're going to be with Ranger Rick, but right now I need you to be in Mayaville. I'm about to meet up with your uncle and Farkle outside the school." Maya paced inside the small bathroom while scrunching her hair in a fist. The blonde walked up to the vintage sink and looked at her reflection on the mirror. "I never thought I had to make a decision like this. One of them wants me to be mature, and the other wants me to be responsible. How can I be both?"

Riley smiled and wrapped an arm around her favorite companion. "I've seen you grow, pup. The Maya you'll become is going to be both those things. Right now, if you follow both your heart _and_ your mind, you'll make the right choice." She grabbed both Maya's hands. "Think about which of the two will make a better partner. If you make a great team, nothing will be impossible."

Maya nodded and bit her lip. Her eyes were gleamy. "This is the first time I don't want to hurt Farkle." Both friends laughed lightly. "We're seniors. The choices we make from now on aren't so temporary. They'll leave permanent tattoos."

Riley shook her head. "Don't get a tattoo you'll regret. Actually, don't get any tattoos, peaches."

Hart smirked at her pure best friend. "Thanks, sunshine. I'm going to meet with both of them right now."

…..

Joshua awkwardly whistled as he stood near Farkle. He leaned on the concrete building wearing dark wash jeans, a purple v-neck, leather jacket and black combat boots. "So… You managed to confuse Maya. But I'm not mad at you. It means you're probably a better man than me."

Farkle stood with perfect posture and straightened his navy blue sweatshirt and black jeans. He tapped his sneakers' heels. "Maybe. Maybe not. We'll see what she decides when she arrives." The bright young man didn't intend to give an attitude. The only reason why he responded so quickly was because of his nerves. Ever since he met Maya, he's never wanted to cause her any harm. They're friendship was important to him.

A minute after the boys exchanged words, Maya Hart appeared. She strutted in a black skater dress, black tights, green military jacket and booties. As she got closer to both, her heart quickened. Maya coughed. "I'm glad to see both of you. Now I'll tell you both how I feel. I love…"

Josh and Farkle shuffled uncomfortably as they waited for an answer.

"I love both of you. Josh, you look for my best interest. You waited for me to be older to date me. At first, I believed you didn't like me. I now understand you wanted me to be ready for a real relationship." The confident blonde then directed her gaze to Farkle. "And you, you've always been by my side at school. You have faith that I can do so much in the world, even though you're more economically sound than I am."

"Maya, we're here so you could choose. Are we at the same position from the beginning?" Farkle Minkus frowned.

"No. I did make my choice. I love both of you. Now I realize, I love you both differently." Maya bit her lip while tears obscured her vision. "Farkle, you're my friend. You're _only_ my friend." A tear rolled down her freckled cheek. "Lately I guess I started to look at you differently, but it was only because of your _exterior_. You haven't changed from the inside… I haven't changed the way I feel about you. You're a really close friend."

The genius looked at the ground as he heard Maya speak. His ears became red.

"I never wanted to hurt you. And right now, I'm crying cause I don't want you to hate me." More tears rolled down Maya's cheeks. "I also know, you still have feelings for Smackle. And I know Smackle isn't over you. I want you to go find her so you can be happy with her. You said it yourself with Napoleon, you can still love someone even after they've hurt you." She cautiously walked over to Farkle and wrapped her arms around him, in a hug.

After that emotional embrace, Farkle energetically ran inside the building to obey Maya's advice. Smackle had been on his mind for a while, but he realized that he mixed those feelings with his feelings for Maya.

When the intellect ran off, he left Maya and Josh to speak alone.

"I'm sorry I doubted us, Josh. Ever since I first laid my eyes on you, I really thought you saw me as an annoying little girl. When you called me on Saturday, I realized I've loved you for a long time. Especially since you're a Matthews." The petite blonde leaned into the taller brunet. She softly pressed a kiss on Josh's lips.

"I hope you're ready for the future, Maya." Josh smiled and lifted Maya in his arms. He spun her around and kissed her.

…..

Riley grinned at Lucas as he dribbled the basketball with ease between his legs. "Yes! You got this!" She pumped a fist in the air and stomped on the floor.

Lucas beamed as he heard the brunette's words. He passed the ball to his team mate and ran across the court.

Billy Ross shot a basket and ran to the Texas teen. "Dude, your girlfriend must be a pretty lucky charm. Your passes have never been better!" Billy patted Lucas' back. "Let's keep it going!"

Riley over heard the comment and blushed profusely. She fiddled with the frills at the end of her purple dress. The brown laced-up boots that covered her feet swung. Riley's heart pounded fiercely and she sensed the happiness inside her about to burst. Suddenly, all that bliss floated away.

"Excuse me? I'm looking for the imbecile named Cory Matthews."

The quirky brunette glanced at her crush and observed his frown.

Lucas shouted, "Dad?" He quickly raced to the bench and found his father present. "What are you doing here?"

"Get out of my way boy!" Mr. Friar charged to the ball room at the end of the gymnasium.

Mrs. Friar soon followed her husband in pursuit. "Leave the man alone! Don't get angry!" The older woman grabbed Mr. Friar's muscular arm and tried to pull it towards the exit. Unfortunately, her strength was small compared to the man's.

Cory furrowed his eyebrows in confusion as he looked at his clipboard. Originally, he was making an inventory of all the school's equipment. As soon as he heard his name, he exited the ball room and stood straight. "Hi Mr. Friar! How are you?"

The Texas man laughed sarcastically. "You have the nerve to be a hypocrite?! Y'all teachers think my boy is a joke! He's blind! And you're making him play basketball?!" Mr. Friar charged towards Cory with full force.

In a matter of seconds, Mrs. Friar, Lucas and Riley were trying to hold the angry father back. Shrieks erupted from Lucas' mother. Riley winced as she tried to use all her strength against the powerful man. On the other hand, Lucas was the only one that handled the shoving and pushing from his father. "Calm down, dad."

Shockingly, the man calmed down and stopped his attack. Despite the lack of resist, Lucas sensed things still weren't right. "Let me go." Mr. Friar spoke sternly towards the three people. "This is what you deserve!" He swung his fist in the air towards Cory. It was a hit and fall.

However, it wasn't Cory who was hit.

Lucas laid on the ground, blood flowing from his mouth. His eyelids were closed. It seemed like a total knockout.

Mrs. Friar screamed in terror. "Look at what you did! You just hurt our son!" She wasn't the only one in shock from the sudden events. Riley bent down and began to sob.

The brunette lifted Lucas' upper body and held him in her arms. She grabbed a napkin from her dress pocket and wiped the blood from his lips. "Dad! Call the ambulance!"

Cory quickly took out his phone and dialed 911. He stepped aside and spoke to the emergency operator. As he began to speak, several of the school's security guards ran inside the court and grabbed Lucas' dad. Meanwhile, Mr. Friar just looked at his son in utter horror. He began to stutter, "I-I, never meant t-to hurt, my son. I-I love him!" The man was restrained of any movement.

…..

Inside the hospital, Cory and Lucas' mom spoke with the doctor. Riley sat next to Lucas and hoped he would regain consciousness. "Lucas, speak to me." She whispered as to not scare him. "Wake up." Her small hands tapped his arm lightly.

The young man's eyelids lifted slowly. Once he completely opened his eyes, his confused facial expressions became expressions of relief. "Riley." Lucas smiled. "You being the first thing I hear reminds me things will be okay." He casually grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "I'll be fine. Is your dad okay? Did my dad hurt him too?"

Riley's eyes began to water with tears of joy. "I'm so happy you're okay. My dad's fine." She wrapped her arms around Lucas and silently cried into his hospital gown. Riley felt the dirty blond play with her hair. "Your dad really wants you to quit basketball," she said quietly into his ear. "What are you gonna do?"

Lucas shook his head in disagreement. The two lovers parted from the hug reluctantly. "I am not going to quit. I believe that the greatest risks lead to the greatest rewards." He smiled at the brunette.

"You're crazy, you know that?" Riley questioned in a mere whisper. Her head titled to the side as she admired him. "I already told Maya, Farkle and Zay to come over and visit you."

"Let's stop talking about me, Riley. Why don't we talk about your search for the person who sent your application to NYU?" Lucas smirked and laughed. "I see someone has a secret admirer."

"I don't even know if it's a guy or a girl! Don't get me started on the NYU application. I mean, it's my dream school, but what if I'm actually not prepared for this big change? What if, whoever sent the application has the wrong idea of me?" Riley gasped. "What if he wants something inappropriate or illegal in return?!" Her face was flushed in embarrassment and worry.

Friar chuckled. "I don't think that's the case. Whoever sent your essay to the university must know who you are. You're Riley Matthews. You look for the best in everyone and you'll try to make things right in the world. You believe in second chances and you work hard." He raised his eyebrows in amusement. "In fact, you've changed me. Back in Texas I had anger issues that still have traces today. I threatened Maya when we stopped spending time together. Now, I'm trying to work hard to be better than I was."

The brunette's heart bursted with joy once again. "I've always felt like a nobody. It's always mattered to me what other people think. What you just said has made me forget all of that. Thank you, Lucas." Riley smiled.

…..

"Mrs. Friar, I believe we could operate on your son soon! What is your opinion?" Doctor Michaels clicked on his pen.

"Um, n-not yet. My husband and I will let you know when." The woman bit her lip and put a hand on her temple. "Thank you."

"No problem. I'll be right back." The doctor left Lucas' mom and Cory alone in the waiting room. Both of them stood there in silence.

"I'm so sorry about my husband, Mr. Matthews. My husband has some anger management problems that need to be controlled," the green-eyed woman said. "Thank you for being a great coach to my little Lucas. He has said nothing but good things about you."

Cory smiled. "I'm sorry to cause confrontation in the family. I think Lucas is very bright and capable of playing basketball. The incident from last time wasn't related to an actual game, I'm not sure if your husband knew." He looked at the woman with a questioning look. "If you don't mind me asking, why don't you want Mr. Friar to have the operation?"

…..

 **ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER. Review! ;D**

 **BTW! I'm planning on writing another Rucas story after I'm done with GTTC! Do you guys want it to be a one shot or a full chapter story? Also, I'm going to write it with Paris as the setting... If any of you live in France, tell me what I should include from the geography. THANKS AGAIN!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's note: Many of you were probably wondering, 'how did Lucas get hurt?'. Lucas was trying to protect Cory, so he stepped in front of him. Mr. Friar threw the punch quickly before noticing his son was the target. On another note, even though blind people can't see, they can technically 'open' their eyes. That action involves the eyelids and not actual vision (just in case you though blind people had their eyes closed permanently).**

 **I'm sorry for taking so long to update! I had no wifi for a week and it was torture. Then, I couldn't write because there was no time to. :( Did anyone miss me? I received one review to update but most of you seemed okay with the hiatus… Should I stop writing?**

 **I have a twitter account if anyone wants to follow me. I believe it's uniquenicole_7**

 **jaletftwich: Thank you for your beautiful words! I'm glad you're content with Maya's decision, and the way I handled it. I will always say thank you to readers like you who are so polite and kind! Love to all of you! Because I love y'all, I'll be working on other rucas stories (hopefully).**

 **nona0310: I believe anger issues run in the family… Haha Riley as Lucas' nurse is a good way to put it! ;) I actually want to see 'Me Before You'! I'll consider writing a rucas story based on the film. Thank you for your lovely compliment about my writing! xo**

 **CodenameR.A.L: Aw thanks for not being mad with me! I kept you in mind while writing that part, haha! I love your username because it's very creative. :) Thanks for reviewing!**

 **(Guest): I'm so excited to write what will happen with Lucas' sight! Keep guessing when that will happen… or IF that will happen. DUN DUN DUN!**

 **violet1429: Lovely phrasing in your comment! Thank you for acknowledging that rucas moment at the hospital. Smackle and Farkle is a subject we'll tackle as soon as Riley finds out who sent her NYU application. ;)**

 **Discursus: Thanks for mentioning that! Lucas' dad has NOT seen him play! I'll figure out if I can include that in a future chapter. I have some ideas actually… haha!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything you're familiar with. Characters and some settings are solely created by Michael Jacobs and his co-workers.**

…..

"-why don't you want Lucas to have the operation?"

Mrs. Friar let out a long sigh and peered into her son's room. She admired how easily he had made friends… _real_ friends. "I don't want my son to be at risk. Something can go awfully wrong."

Cory nodded in empathy. "I understand you care about him deeply. But these charities are aware of the doctors on duty. They wouldn't send a random person."

The woman slowly moved her head up and down in agreement. "I know you're right, but I still need to talk to my husband. After everything, we have to have a long conversation." She stood up and shook Mr. Matthews' hand. "Thank you again for not pressing charges on my husband. I'm going to pick him up from the police station. Do you mind looking over my Lucas?"

Cory smiled. "No worries. Your son is safe with us."

…..

Riley glanced over her shoulder towards the door. She was relieved as she saw her father and Lucas' mother talking calmly. "So how many games do you have to win until the state championships?"

The blind teen laughed as the brunette changed the subject. "Woah, we have to beat at least 12 more teams to be at the championships!" Lucas folded his hands on top of his lap. "We need to win _every single_ game."

"I know that's a lot of pressure but I'm a hundred percent sure you'll be able to make it! I have faith in you, just as much as you have faith in me." Riley smiled and put a hand on his arm. A silence suddenly reigned in the room. After the commotion both teenagers experienced, they felt at peace together. Lucas lifted his head slightly from the hospital bed and Riley leaned downwards to the Texas native. Their lips gradually met until there was no space between them.

Lucas had an indescribable sensation overwhelm him. He had his first kiss back in Dallas, but it was a peck with Carly Weathers inside the fifth grade classroom. This feeling was something priceless. Riley was a precious flower in his eyes. He held her face as if it was delicate china.

The kiss was a first for the unique brunette. She felt fireworks go off inside her chest as she pressed her lips onto Lucas'. Riley was aware that the handsome teen had other girls chasing after him, and so she knew he was experienced. The young woman wondered if she had left a mark on Lucas.

Friar's eyes were wide as saucers. He bit his lip as he grinned.

On the other hand, Riley was in shock of their sudden connection. Her mind had a million open tabs.

 _What are we?_

 _Did he like the kiss?_

 _Are we going to date?_

 _Does he like me?_

 _What if he doesn't?_

"I'm so sorry!"

Lucas smirked and chuckled. "Why are you sorry? That was a great kiss. I like you a lot Riley. You're someone I would never want to replace." He tilted his head towards his hands. "I hope I didn't make you uncomfortable."

Riley shook her head frantically. "That's not the problem! I think highly of you. I've liked you ever since I met you on the first day of school." She frowned.

"Then what's the problem? When two people like each other, they begin to date."

"I don't… I don't think we can do that, yet." Riley's head drooped in disappointment. "There's so much going on in our lives. You have basketball, you just moved here around two months ago, you still need to have your eye surgery! I think we should have a stable life for us to work out… unless you're not looking for anything serious."

Lucas was silent for a few moments. He reached out with an open hand to Riley. "You're right. Let's be great friends until I settle into New York better. After that-" The dirty blond was interrupted by a Cory Matthews.

"How are you feeling, Mr. Friar? Your mother went to pick up your father." The older man hovered over the pair. He didn't ignore the fact that Lucas' hand rested on Riley's arm. In the depths of his wise mind, he knew the couple had an iconic bond.

"I'm fine, Mr. Matthews. Actually, you came into the room at a great time. I was going to ask you for your blessing." Lucas smiled politely.

"Blessing for what?" Cory scoffed and looked at the current patient with amusement. When he realized what Lucas meant, his playful attitude turned into confusion.

"After I recover my sight, I want to ask your daughter out on a date. I'd like your blessing, sir."

…..

Farkle laid on his large bed, staring at the ceiling. His vast mind was deciding if he should reunite with Smackle. Maya was right when she expressed her feelings. She knew the feelings that overwhelmed the intellectual teen.

As though the universe had decided for him, Farkle's cellphone vibrated.

"Hello?"

On the other line, car honks and engines were heard. "Hi. May we speak in person?"

"Smackle. I have been thinking about you several times today."

"Myself as well. I'm currently in Topanga's. Will you meet with me now?"

With confidence, Farkle responded. "Of course." He quickly hung up and put on his winter jacket. With anxiety pumping through his veins, he grabbed his car keys and drove into the city.

…..

Smackle sat with perfect posture against the comfortable furniture. Black-rimmed glasses perched on her pointed nose and her raven hair was pulled back. She wore a emerald green dress with black tights, and charcoal boots. As soon as a gust of wind came through the door, her head spun.

"Hello."

"It's nice to see you, Farkle. I've been patiently waiting here. There are things we need to speak about." Frustration rushed through her. Because of her mental illness, she sounded like a robot instead of an ordinary human being.

"Why don't we begin with the fact that you scarred me emotionally? You abandoned me to see other people." Farkle's eyes were both filled with rage and sadness.

"I'm terribly sorry, my sweet. In the logical mind, one has to experiment to find a conclusion. I had thought it was right to not adhere to one person."

"You may be incredibly smart, Smackle. However, as a logical person too, I can assure you that love comes from the heart and not the mind. Being friends with others allows you to see how people act genuinely. I recall how much you despised people like Billy Ross and then suddenly, I see a romantic relationship between the two of you."

"Are you present in this establishment to mock me or accuse me of my actions?" Smackle furrowed her eyebrows in anger.

"No. I want to demonstrate that being friends with someone demonstrates how they truly act. A relationship that just stems from romanticism is temporary, but the relationship that appears from friendship is infinite."

"You were my nemesis, dear. Even in those moments I liked you. We became friends shortly after."

"Smackle, you were aware of my personality and character. You know who I am and I know who you are."

"Do you want to become a couple once again?" The bright young woman blushed while looking down at her feet.

Farkle grabbed Smackle's hand and gave her a small smile. "Thanks to the friends and family that I have, I know what love is. I love you." He slowly hugged the teenager and waited until she felt comfortable in his embrace. A wet tear suddenly dropped on his hand.

The black-haired girl silently cried. "I apologize for the way I treated you. You're my true love, dearest. Now I am completely aware: from my brain to my beating heart."

…..

Josh kissed Maya as they stood inside the train. "Has Riley sent any new messages?" He held the blonde's smaller hand.

Maya shook her head and grinned. "She's distracted by her cowboy. I think she'll be fine." Her head laid on Josh's chest. "Right now, I want to soak in this moment."

The older young man raked his fingers through the teenager's hair relaxingly. His back pressed against the metal railing. "Have you heard anything from colleges?"

"Actually, I applied to several. Including: Pennsylvania, Rutgers, Patterson and NYU." The short teen grinned from ear to ear. "Even though I'm still the same rebellious Maya, throughout my four years of high school I kept my grades up. I was qualified to apply for NYU."

Josh squeezed his girlfriend in a hug. "I'm so proud of you, Maya. That would be great! I have two years left and if you're accepted, we'll be closer."

"It's all a matter of waiting. But it's the worst part." The blonde laughed and bit her lip. "One can only hope."

…..

Riley was beaming with hope. Her eyes, wide as an anime character, stared at Cory Matthews.

"You're ask-asking me for my blessing? In this day and age where people just text and don't give a flying stick about parents' opinions?" The older Matthews couldn't believe what he was hearing. "As polite and respectful that sounds, I don't know if my daughter-" He glanced at his daughter.

"I'm totally okay with it!" Riley intended to sound nonchalant. "I mean, cool." She crossed her arms to seem laid back.

The curly haired teacher sighed. "There is nothing stopping my daughter from growing up so I suppose… the answer is yes." Cory patted Lucas' shoulder. "You have my blessing."

The quirky brunette tackled her father in a hug. "Thank you," she repeated into his ear.

…..

 **I think the following chapter with have a time jump from this point. Please be on the lookout for the next installment of 'Going to the City'! xx**


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